


Together

by LetticeDouffet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dragon Pox, F/M, Quests, St Mungo's Hospital, Trolls, druna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 61,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetticeDouffet/pseuds/LetticeDouffet
Summary: One is almost universally dismissed as a lunatic.  The other is almost universally despised as a traitor.  Now an unlikely turn of events has placed the fate of the Wizarding World in their hands.   When Draco and Luna are sent off in an attempt to save everyone from a potential plague that threatens everyone, they had no way of knowing that along the way they might end up saving each other as well.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood & Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 47
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this back in the fall before all of this madness started. I hope it ends as well for all of us as it does for my main characters.

**Chapter 1  
  
**

Draco Malfoy muttered a prodigious stream of curse words as he climbed onto the back of the injured dragon and tried to remember exactly how he had ended up in this predicament.  
  


**_xxx - One Week Earlier_ **

  
Draco checked the items tucked inside his slightly battered satchel one last time as he glanced around and nervously knocked on the door to the Minister's office.  
  


It was still a rare occurrence for him to leave the security of his secluded cottage, preferring the solitude of his property in the country to the stares and awkward conversation that usually accompanied an appearance in public. At best his social interactions during those times were uncomfortable. At worst they could be downright hostile.

  
The resentment directed towards Draco and his family came as no surprise to him. The Malfoys had been known Death Eaters in both wars. The second time they had not only supported Voldemort but their home had ultimately served as the Dark Lord's base of operations. Even before that, Draco had not exactly been on a mission to win a wide variety of friends during his time at school. The few people he had been close to in his youth had either perished in the war or abandoned him when it was revealed that his beliefs weren't in line with the rest of Voldemort's followers.

  
Draco would be the first to admit he had been incredibly lucky that he and his mother had avoided his father's fate. Narcissa had been deported and now lived in exile in Switzerland while Draco had been sentenced to one year of house arrest and two years of community service, which (to his great relief) he had been allowed to serve somewhere other than the Manor.

  
He now spent most of his time scouring through the vast repository of books and artifacts he had taken from the Manor, using his skills in alchemy to research and create counterspells and antidotes to the various relics of dark magic that had captivated his father.

  
As part of his parole agreement Draco routinely filled out reports on his findings and forwarded them to the Ministry for review. In the past, these had always been met with a polite form letter acknowledging their receipt so it had been quite a surprise when his recent filing prompted a request for a personal meeting with the Minister of Magic himself.

  
The door opened and Draco was escorted inside where he found himself standing in the towering presence of Kingsley Shacklebolt. After the obligatory exchange of greetings the Minister got down to business.

  
"Before we proceed, Mr. Malfoy, I need to inform your participation in what I am about to share with you is completely voluntary. You can say no, walk out of here and return to life as you know it. If, however, you _do_ accept our proposition I believe we can make it worth your while," the minister said as he handed over a stack of papers.

  
Draco scanned the documents and looked up in surprise. "Is this what I think it is?"

  
Kingsley nodded. "A full and complete pardon for both you and your mother, which means, among other things unrestricted access to travel and the chance for Narcissa to move back to Britain if she desires. A rather lucrative job with the Ministry would be yours, if you want it. Either way, it means a clean slate and freedom to pursue whatever path you like."

  
"Sounds too good to be true." Draco cautiously laid the papers back on the desk. "What's the catch?"

  
The Minister leaned back in his chair. "What do you know about the current Dragon Pox situation?"

  
"I know that the outbreak seems to have originated somewhere in a remote part of Eastern Europe and that it appears to be the same sort of pox that almost decimated the wizarding world centuries ago. I know it's virulent and that if current projections hold it will begin to gain a foothold in Britain within weeks. If keeps growing at the present rate then in a few months time we will almost certainly hit pandemic levels. All efforts to concoct a preventative or a cure thus far have proven unsuccessful. To date, anyone that has contracted the disease has died within a week."

  
The older man nodded grimly. "Are you familiar with the works of Sanare Medens?"

  
"I've come across the name before. From what I recall he was an ancient healer who supposedly wrote a detailed treatise on the original outbreak hundreds of years ago. Most scholars agree that he was the one who developed the only known cure for this strain but it has since been lost to history."

  
"Correct. Legend has it that his process for brewing the potion was housed in the library at Alexandria. Before it's destruction the scroll was 'liberated' by a petty thief named Cucullo who sold it to a man named Pertento. Even back in his day Pertento would have been described as 'old school'. He believed that knowledge should only be shared with those who prove themselves 'deserving' of it. The scroll containing the cure was passed down in that family until the line was about to die out. Following Pertento's instructions, the last heir reportedly hid it inside a cave located in a remote region of Eastern Europe - a cave which is supposedly guarded by a series of tests so the seeker could prove their worth."

  
"That's a lot of legends and suppositions," said Draco.

  
"So we thought. But recently we uncovered a source with promising information regarding the potential location of both the cave and the scroll." 

  
"Really? How fortuitous. Who is this deliverer that shall save us all?"

  
Kingsley slid a second file across the desk. When Draco opened it the first thing he saw was a photo. It took a moment for it to register who the subject was since she wasn't wearing radish earrings, outlandish eyewear or an extravagant hat.

  
"Merlin's Beard! You can't possibly mean to tell me you are pinning all your hopes on the claims of Looney Lovegood." 

  
A soft voice from behind him said, "Actually, it's Looney Scamander now. Granted, it doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but you can't have everything I suppose."

  
Draco winced as the Minister stood and greeted the diminutive blonde witch warmly before moving towards the door. "As much as I'd love to stay and witness this touching reunion, I have a meeting that I can't reschedule so I'll leave Luna to explain the details to you."

  
Luna waited until Kingsley had left the room then turned to Draco and smiled. "Hello, Draco Malfoy. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

  
Draco didn't even try to hide the derision in his voice. "Oh, just _ducky_ , thanks for asking. And yourself?" 

  
If she noticed his condescending tone she chose to ignore it. "Fine, thank you. Sorry I'm late. How much has Kingsley explained about the expedition?"

  
"What expedition?"

  
"The expedition I'm leading to find Pertento's scroll."

  
"YOU are leading an expedition? You can't be serious."

  
"Why not me?"

  
"B-because you..."

  
"Because you think I'm a mentally deficient lunatic?" Luna's smile didn't waver as Draco began to splutter out a reply. "It's what you were thinking, wasn't it? Honestly, I much prefer if people just say what they actually mean, don't you? It's so much easier that way. If that's something you think you can manage, then this should work out fine. If not, that's okay as well. No hard feelings. I'll tell the Minister this will be a solo mission."

  
"Solo? You mean..."  
  


Luna nodded. "Yes. The area where the scroll appears to be located is a highly disputed territory. The smaller the group the more likely we can get in and out undetected. Two was the number that the ministry settled upon, although I'm sure one would be fine with the Powers that Be."  
  


Draco's eyes flicked to the official portrait of Shacklebolt on the wall as he wondered what kind of a mad man would send this tiny slip of a witch into the unknown by herself.  
  


Luna made herself comfortable in one of the plush seats in front of the desk. "Now, so I won't bore you with information you already possess, please tell me what you know about Nicholas Flamel."  
  


_What the hell_ , Draco said to himself. _As long as I'm here I might as well amuse myself_. He leaned back and folded his arms.   
  
"Nicolas Flamel was a famed wizard and alchemist. Born in Switzerland in the late 1300's and educated at Durmstrang, he is probably most well known for the creation of the Philosopher's Stone which he used to concoct an elixir which greatly extended his lifespan. He was approximately 500 years old when he destroyed the stone in 1992 in an effort to keep it from 'You Know Who'. This action meant there was no more elixir and he died shortly thereafter."  
  


"That's quite good," said Luna. Draco smirked until she crossed her legs and continued, "Except that Flamel was French, not Swiss. He was born in the _early_ 1300's - 1326 to be exact - and he attended Beauxbatons, not Durmstrang. Though I'm sure you knew all of that and were just testing me."  
  
Draco shifted uncomfortably. _Show off_ , he thought.  
  
"And while most of what you said about the Stone was correct, you failed to mention that his decision also cost the life of Perenelle, his wife, who had been at his side for over _600_ years."

  
Draco was grudgingly impressed. "You know of Perenelle?"

  
"Of course. She was not only the love of Flamel's life, she was also his colleague. Many of the notations in his private journals are in her handwriting."  
  
"How would you know that?"  
  
  
"Because I've seen them."

  
"And where would _you_ have seen Nicholas Flamel's private journals?" scoffed Draco.

  
"In my sitting room. I own most of them," answered Luna.

  
"That's impossible! They were stolen years ago."

  
"They weren't stolen," said Luna.

  
"They were reported missing just after his death."

  
"Just because people don't know where something _is_ doesn't mean it has been _stolen_ , Draco. When he realized his time was running short, Flamel gave most of his personal effects to a trusted friend. It took some convincing to talk him out of just burning them. Once he was persuaded that arson wasn't the best course of action, he and Pere agreed to turn the documents over on the condition that they remain hidden unless there was a dire need. Apparently they were worried someone might once more try to recreate the stone for nefarious purposes."   
  
She chuckled, "Flamel was quite a stubborn old bird by that point. Not to mention surprisingly strong for someone who was almost a septecentenarian."

  
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying that you actually met Nicolas Flamel?"

  
"Sadly, no. He passed away when I was eleven. He was quite close with my husband's family, however. They were the ones he entrusted with his books and personal journals."

  
"That begs another question. You've got a new name and mentioned a husband. Where is he? Doesn't he mind his wife setting off on some expedition with another man?"   
  


"Seeing as how he died almost a year ago, I don't think it he'll complain too awfully much." 

_  
Damn_ , Draco thought. The name finally registered as he vaguely recalled a distant headline. "Luna Scamander. You were married to Rolf Scamander? Grandson of...."

  
"Newt Scamander. Author of _'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'_. Yes. That was him."

  
"My condolences. I didn't realize that you and he..." 

  
"Really? How refreshing. At least now I know you haven't spent the last couple of years poring over the tabloids."

  
Anxious to change the subject to a less delicate topic, Draco asked, "Listen, I can't be the only person with knowledge of Flamel available. So why, exactly, am _I_ here?" 

  
"Because it would seem that you are in possession of this." Luna reached into her bag, pulled out a worn leather journal and rifled through the pages until she came to a drawing of an elaborate key. "You mentioned it in your last report to the Ministry."

  
He reached for the book but she pulled it away. "Apologies. I can't show you anything else without swearing you to secrecy. Sorry. Kingsley's rule, not mine."

  
Draco glanced towards the door. "Fine but we'll need a third person to do the binding for an unbreakable vow."

  
Luna rose from her chair and extended her hand towards him. "Not if I agree to take your word and your handshake as your vow."

  
Draco was stunned. Her willingness to accept _his_ word so unconditionally was more than enough for him to question her sanity. His gut instinct was to walk away and leave this crazy witch to her harebrained quest but the desire for a new life for both himself and his mother - as well as the opportunity to view even a small portion of the legendary Flamel archives - ultimately won out. 

  
"All right but let's get one thing straight up front. I'm not in this for any other reason than the pardon the Ministry is offering my mother and myself. Don't delude yourself into thinking there is anything else involved here. Understood?"

  
"Understood."

  
"All right then. You have my word." Draco gave her hand a obligatory shake and let go as soon as humanly possible. "Now show me these papers that everyone seems so taken with."

  
Luna pulled out a map along with several journals and began going over the basics with him. He was studying the map when she mentioned the length of time she was estimating it would take to reach their destination on foot.   
  


"On foot? Have you forgotten you're a witch? Why not fly or apparate?"  
  


"Not possible. Like I said before - the scroll is hidden in a highly disputed territory. The way things are right now, if we were to be discovered it would almost certainly trigger an international incident. That eliminates apparation as an option because all of these forests," she gestured at the better portion of the map, "are warded by at least three foreign governments to detect unauthorized entry - not to mention the fact that we don't have any idea of the exact location to which we'd need to apparate. Two humans on foot can walk around unnoticed because we aren't much bigger than most of the indigenous wildlife. I considered flying but some of the landmarks mentioned in the journals are quite small and need to be seen from the ground to be located."  
  


Draco nodded as he began to see the issues regarding the travel situation then pointed to the other items Luna had laid on the table.   
  
"You've explained how you got the Flamel journals. How did you come by these other materials?"  
  


"Daddy was always intrigued by the legend of the scroll and spent a good part of his life collecting whatever he could find on the subject. My parents actually searched for the cave once themselves when they were our age. It seems that they got close but turned back when they realized Mum was pregnant with me. Their plan was to try again once I started at Hogwarts but circumstances prevented that from happening."  
  


"Why are you only coming forward with this information now?"  
  


"I didn't know what I had until very recently. I only saw the map once when I was a little girl. Honestly, I assumed it all got destroyed along with my family's other belongings during the war."   
  
She began fidgeting with her wedding ring. "And it took a long time for me to go through my husband's things after he died. I only got around to the back closet a week ago. That's where I found a box tucked away on the shelf. Inside were parts of Daddy's collection that Rolf had discovered in our vault at Gringott's. He had started to cross reference them against his family's Flamel archives. It seems that Pertento's cave was the last thing my husband was working on before he died."  
  


"And he hadn't shared that with you?"  
  


"Apparently his plan was to put it all together and give it to me on my birthday, along with a promise for us to attempt the expedition in memory of my parents. However, Rolf died before anyone realized the true extent of the pox outbreak so we didn't understand the urgency at the time."  
  


"Yes. Uh...right." Finding himself once more in tricky conversational territory, Draco turned his attention back to the documents on the table. "Okay - I understand the need for a small party but why _us_ specifically?"  
  


"Do you want the official answer or what I suspect is the _real_ answer?" asked Luna.  
  


"Both, if it's not too much trouble."  
  


"No trouble at all," said Luna. "The _official_ answer is that we possess unique items and knowledge that no one else does. I have the map, Flamel's journals and other pertinent documents as well as knowing how to read my father's rather cryptic notations. In addition to owning the key, you have done more research in alchemy than anyone since Flamel, making you an invaluable resource in decoding the scientific notations in Nicholas' journals. You are also a dab hand at potions, which will be crucial in verifying the authenticity of the scroll when we find it."  
  


"All right. Now let's set aside the official gibberish. What is the _other_ answer?"  
  


"Ah, yes. Well - I believe the _real_ reason we've been selected is the Ministry considers us expendable."

  
"Expendable?"

  
"We are both single with little to no direct family to speak of. If we succeed they look brilliant for sending us out. If we fail and are never heard from again then not too many people around to kick up a fuss."

  
Draco snorted, "Oh, like Saint Potter and his crew wouldn't raise hell if you disappeared without a trace?"

  
"I didn't say I wouldn't be missed, Draco, but the truth is that it would take more than Harry, Ginny and Nev to convince the entire wizarding world I hadn't just wandered off on some foolhardy quest that led to my unfortunate demise. With my family history, most people would consider it a sad but foregone conclusion. In your case, the assumption would be either that I blackmailed you into participating or you had followed me out of selfish motives - most likely to make a profit on a cure."

  
Draco would have argued with her if he hadn't known in his gut that she was right. Instead he said, "You don't sugar coat things do you?" 

  
"I never really learned that skill. I tend to call things as I see them. Do you think you can put up with that?"  
  
" I don't have much choice, now, do I?" Draco turned his attention back to the map and pointed to a section on the far right corner.  
  
"Why does it go all fuzzy here? Is there where your parents turned back?"

  
"Ah. I see Kingsley neglected to tell you the most important part of the story."  
  
"Which is?"   
  
"No one that has gone past that point has ever come back alive."  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Once Draco had accepted the offer (and signed the requisite waivers and release forms) the pair were given twenty four hours to prepare before setting off. Luna provided him with a comprehensive list of items that he would need to pack, along with instructions for modified undetectable extension and featherlight charms that Draco had to (grudgingly) admit were quite cleverly done. One portion of the list, however, utterly baffled him.  
  
"Why in the world do we have to bring along these muggle items?" Draco said the word 'muggle' as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.  
  
"Apparently Pertento believed that the original pox targeted the wizarding world because it had become lazy and overly reliant on magic. Sources from the time indicate that his family placed a spell on the cave rendering all magic useless once inside. It's another one of the tests to prove you are worthy of obtaining the scroll."  
  
"No flying, no apparating, no magic once we get there? I'm beginning to see why so few people have attempted this before."  
  
"You can back out if you like, Draco. There's no shame in admitting that you aren't up to it," Luna said as she checked her list against the contents of her bag.  
  
Draco' s eyes flashed at the insinuation. "I never said that I wasn't 'up to' anything. I was merely making an observation." He grabbed his pack and began tossing various contents inside, missing the bemused smile on Luna's face in the process.  
  
"My mistake. Your observations are always welcome. Feel free to voice any further concerns you may have," Luna said.  
  
  
After double and triple checking their supplies they made their way back to the Minister's office where they took an international portkey to a Dragon Sanctuary in Romania. Once they regained their bearings Luna said, "Right, let's go find Charlie and determine our departure time, shall we?"  
  


As they turned around, Draco saw a large, broad shouldered, red haired man approaching them. He froze in his tracks. "Um...when you said, 'Charlie', you don't mean Charlie _Weasley_ did you?"

  
"Yes! Do you know him?"

  
Draco tugged at his collar. "Not to speak of. I'm, uh, not exactly on his family's Christmas card list. I don't think this is going to go well..."

  
"Oh, don't worry, Draco. I've known Charlie my whole life. It will be fine."

  
Charlie greeted Luna with a warm embrace but only gave Draco a curt, "Malfoy." He turned back to Luna and said, "Luna - a word, please?" He glared at Draco and growled, "Alone?"

  
The man led Luna off while Draco settled in on a bench to observe from a distance. He could well imagine Charlie's side of the conversation but was unsure about Luna's. As he watched their discussion became decidedly more animated and at one point Luna gave the older Weasley a cross look and a sharp poke in the chest. Draco was amused to see the large man actually shrink back from the small blonde. While admittedly humorous, this also gave Draco pause. If this tiny slip of a woman could frighten a hardened dragon wrangler whom she had known for many years, perhaps he ought to tread with a bit more caution.  
  


Luna finally retrieved Draco and informed him that they would have to wait for nightfall before setting off on their quest. In the meantime she excitedly informed him that Charlie had offered to give them a tour of the sanctuary. They were shown the nursery and the infirmary before Charlie took them to see the newest inhabitant of the preserve - a rescued Erumpent, recently liberated from a group that had illegally poached him from Africa to serve as an exhibit in an underground zoo in Bulgaria. The dragon sanctuary was housing the creature until safe passage could be secured to return the animal to his natural home.  
  


As they arrived at the Erumpent enclosure a small group of rangers ran up to Charlie and informed him that one of the handlers - a man with an apparent history of heart problems - had collapsed inside the pen but the beast would not allow anyone near enough to assist him. When Luna questioned why they didn't just levitate the man out, Charlie grumbled, "This section is under strict ministry control and as such we are obligated to follow very specific protocols and wait for the official Rapid Response Team in a situation such as this."  
  
Draco could tell from the tone of the man's voice that he thought very little of the Ministry, their protocols or their Rapid Response Team.  
  


They waited for about thirty seconds before Luna said, "Hmm...The word 'rapid' must have a different meaning in Romanian." Before anyone could stop her, she slipped through the fence and went striding across the field.  
  


Charlie spewed out a stream of what Draco could only assume were Eastern European swear words as Luna made her way towards to the beast. The local guide grabbed Charlie and responded in a manner that sounded just as confused and alarmed.   
  


"I KNOW that!" growled Charlie. "But we can't DO anything!"

  
Draco began to panic. If Luna got herself killed before the mission even started then there would be no way his deal would be honored by the ministry. "What do you mean, you can't do anything? Stun the damn thing!"  
  


"That 'thing' is an endangered species and is protected by..."

  
"SHE'S about to become an endangered species if you don't..."

  
Before Draco could finish, the guide began gesturing wildly towards the enclosure, causing everyone to turn and stare in amazement.  
  


Luna had stopped a few meters in front of the beast. She crouched down with her legs shoulder width apart, one hand behind her back and the other extended slightly in front of her. She took a deep breath and let loose with what could only be described as a loud bellow while tracing some sort of pattern into the dirt with her foot.   
  


Once she was certain that she had the animal's full attention she repeated the same sequence then began a series of increasingly bizarre movements - turning, crouching, prancing side to side, flipping her hair - all the while backing up towards the fence. After a moment, the creature began to follow her.

  
"Well, I'll be a hippogriff's uncle..." whispered Charlie.

  
"What is she doing?" hissed Draco.

  
"She's distracting him with a mating dance." 

  
Draco gaped at the other man. "A _what_?"

  
Charlie laughed quietly. "It's the mating dance of the Erumpent. Where in the world did she..."

  
The guide gasped and the men once again focused their attention to the spectacle in front of them.

  
Luna dropped to the ground, rolled over slowly and hopped back up into a crouched position. She waited a few seconds then repeated the procedure. The beast tipped his head, looked at her carefully and then copied her movements - dropping to the ground and rolling over, pausing to wriggle his enormous hooves in the air halfway through.

  
Once the animal was back on his feet, Luna continued to draw him towards Charlie and the others. Finally the Rapid Response team arrived and Charlie instructed them to go to the other side of the enclosure to extract the sick guide as quickly and quietly as possible.

  
Meanwhile, Luna kept moving towards the fence line. Once she was within two meters of them she whispered, "Charlie, as soon as they have him out I am going to need you to cause a distraction on the other side of the field."

  
"Got it." Charlie hurriedly sent one of his team off in that direction then said, "Be just a few more seconds, Lu. You okay?"

  
Luna kept her eyes trained on the Erumpent. "I'm just fine, thank you."

  
Everyone held their breath until a loud noise erupted on the other side of the enclosure. The Erumpent whipped around as Luna dived under the fence to safety. Charlie helped her up and exclaimed, "That was brilliant, Luna! Where did you learn to do an Erumpent dance?"

  
Luna picked a twig out of her hair and adjusted her jumper. "Rolf's grandfather would sometimes demonstrate it if he had too many fire whiskeys with dinner. It's not something you easily forget once you've seen it, especially when it's been performed by an elderly man wearing a paper Christmas crown on his head."

  
The Erumpent bellowed and Luna turned to face the beast. "Sorry, big guy. Hated to lead you on like that. If it's any consolation, a male hasn't looked at me like that in quite some time, so thank you." She picked up her pack and began walking casually back to the ranger station. 

  
Draco stared after her then looked at Charlie. "You say you've known her all of her life?"

  
"Yep. Been my little sister's best friend since they were babies."

  
"Is she always like this?"

  
Charlie smiled broadly. "Oh, no." Draco's shoulders had almost relaxed when Charlie added, "Sometimes she's reckless." With a wink the red headed man began to follow Luna down the trail.

  
Draco ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Bloody hell. We're going to die."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
  
**

They were given temporary accommodation and tried to rest for a few hours before dinner. During the meal, Draco sat quietly at the end of the table and listened as Charlie regaled members of his team with stories about the adventures that Luna and his little sister Ginny had gotten into when they were young. Draco acted as if he couldn't care less about the tales but discreetly took note of the advanced magic that Luna had apparently been capable of even before setting foot inside Hogwart's - not to mention her penchant for getting herself into rather precarious situations.   
  


Once darkness fell Charlie led the pair to the edge of the preserve and directed them towards a path into the forest, giving Luna a big hug and Draco a warning glance before sending them on their way. There was a full moon overhead so they were able to cover a good distance before Luna decided they should stop for the night.  
  
Draco pulled the expensive tent purchased specifically for the expedition out of his pack and summoned his wand. Before he cast the appropriate charm Luna politely asked, "Draco? Is that really where you want to set up camp?"  
  


Draco ignored her and pointed his wand at the pile of materials.   
  
Luna continued, "I only ask because..."

  
"I am perfectly capable of setting up a tent without your assistance, Lovegood, " Draco snapped. "I'll have you know that I received E's in Charms on both my OWLS and my NEWTs, thank you very much." With a flick of his wrist and a curt "Erecto" the stakes and fabric rose into the air and settled, fully constructed, onto the ground in front of him.  
  
"The name is Scamander and I have no doubts whatsoever about your technical competence in spell casting, Draco. If that's where you truly want to sleep then I wish you pleasant dreams. Give me a shout if you need anything." With that, Luna slipped into her tent which she had placed about fifty feet away on top of a gentle knoll.

  
"Need anything? From you? Not bloody likely," Draco huffed as he entered the tent. He made sure the interior was up to his standards before crawling into the luxurious, king size bed he had conjured. He might be forced to travel on foot but he wasn't about to forgo any more creature comforts than absolutely necessary.   
  


He soon drifted off but woke with a start about an hour later after a disturbing dream in which he had been unable to move. He was terrified when he realized that it wasn't a dream after all. While he had been sleeping the snake-like tendrils of an invasive plant had slithered into his tent and covered his body, making it difficult to breath properly. He thrashed about trying to summon his wand but the more he struggled the tighter the vines became. He finally gave up and resorted to calling out to Luna for help.  
  
She arrived at his tent and to Draco's irritation she seemed far more amused at his plight than concerned about his well being.  
  


"Do you need help, Draco?"  
  
"No, you idiot! I shouted for you because I decided I'd like an audience whilst being strangled to death by a plant!"  
  
"Huh. Odd choice but if that's what you prefer then..." Luna shrugged and leaned against one of the tent posts.  
  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"You said you wanted an audience rather than assistance so..."  
  
"That was sarcasm, you half wit!"  
  
"Oh.... I see. Just to be clear - you _do_ want help then, correct?"  
  
"Yes!"   
  


"Then what's the magic word?"   
  


"What?!"   
  


"No. That's not it." Her placid expression only served to further infuriate him.   
  


"What are you on about?!"   
  


"You know," said Luna. "The magic word. The word that people usually say when they are asking another person for assistance."   
  


Draco gritted his teeth and managed to force out the word " _Please_." 

  
"As you wish, Draco Malfoy." Luna pulled her wand from behind her ear and deftly conjured several jets of Blue Bell Flames around the bed. Immediately Draco could feel the plant loosening its grip and was able to breathe easier. She looked at him and said, "Now, close your eyes. Tightly, please."  
  
Draco complied and heard her mutter an incantation. He became aware of a blinding flash of intense heat and light which briefly illuminated the tent. He kept his eyes closed until Luna said, "All clear. You can open your eyes now." When he did so all traces of the plant had disappeared.   
  
"You pitched your tent next to a large patch of Devil's Snare," Luna explained, tucking her wand behind her ear. "That's what I was trying to tell you before you set up camp. In the future if you find yourself in that plant's proximity you should try to select an area further away - preferably on higher ground - and place blue bell flames around the corners of your tent." Through the open tent flap, she gestured towards her campsite which was set up in exactly the fashion which she had described.

  
Draco grumbled, "Show off...." before getting up and silently moving his tent to a flat section of ground next to Luna's. He conjured a perimeter of blue bell flames and went back to bed, where sleep mostly avoided him for the remainder of the night.  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
  
**

The following morning Draco stood at a respectable distance and inspected the patch of Devil's Snare before forcing himself to ask, "How were you able to spot that in the dark?"   
  


"Neville Longbottom was my herbology tutor at school. He had a special rapport with plants. Got along with them better than people - although I daresay that was due largely to the fact that the plants treated him better than most of our fellow students - and a fair bit of the faculty actually."   
  
She smiled and added, "I could share some of his insights on the subject with you over breakfast, if you'd like."  
  


Draco only grunted but over breakfast and during the course of the next day's hike he did make more of an effort to pay attention to her ramblings and he had to admit that she did seem to know what she was talking about when it came to the various plants and animals they passed along the way. He even took her advice that evening about where and how to pitch his tent.  
  


On their third day out, Luna passed a bit too close to a briar patch and one of the giant thorns snagged her jacket causing a large rip along the back. Out of habit Draco cast a quick 'vestiment reparo', fixing the garment good as new.

  
Luna peeked over her shoulder and examined his efforts. "Exemplary work, Draco! Thank you! How did you get so adept at mending charms?"

  
Draco shrugged. "I was an active little boy and my father demanded perfection in all things. Mother often had to do quick reparos to keep me from being punished. Luckily I was a fast learner so I managed to avoid his wrath in regards to my appearance most of the time."  
  


"Yes. I do recall your father being a somewhat difficult and complicated man."

  
Draco snarled, "Don't act like you know me or my family, Lovegood."

  
"It's Scamander and I know quite a few things, actually."

  
"Oh, _really_? All the twaddle that the tabloids have seen fit to print, I suppose." 

  
"No - I've been around long enough to know that most wizarding publications publish only half truths on the very best of days. I will concede I don't know _much_ about your parents. I only remember meeting your father twice - once in the Department of Mysteries and once when I was at your house during the war. I grant you those probably weren't ideal circumstances to get to know a person." 

  
Draco flinched at the mention of incidents where Luna's life had been threatened by members of his family. She took no notice and walked on. "I also met your mother at the Manor. She was a most impressive woman. She snuck extra rations to me a couple of times and one especially cold evening she managed to cast a warming charm over myself and Mr. Ollivander. She was very clever about it. Bellatrix and Fenrir didn't even notice that she'd done it."  
  


She turned to face him. "I can say, with some degree of certainty, that I know a fair bit about you." She lifted her chin and straightened her back as if Professor McGonagall had asked her to deliver a presentation before the class.   
  
"Draco Lucius Malfoy. Born June 5, 1980. The only child of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black Malfoy. Educated at home by a series of private tutors until 1991. At that time, your father wanted to send you to Durmstrang but your mother insisted you continue the tradition of attending Hogwarts. You were sorted into Slytherin house, following a long precedence in your family. You received excellent marks for most of your time in school and displayed an inclination for quidditch, becoming seeker for Slytherin during your second year. A couple of regrettable incidents during your third year that I won't rehash now resulted in an injury that wasn't quite as bad as you let on which lead to you missing part of that season, costing you a significant number of house points and getting you a rather impressive black eye courtesy of Hermione Granger."

  
Draco started to interrupt but Luna continued with her recitation. "Another series of unfortunate choices made during your fourth year left you with a distinct fear of Professor Moody and a pronounced dislike of ferrets but you did get to attend the Yule Ball with Pansy Parkinson, so I suppose the term wasn't a complete loss."   
  


"Fifth year, you were named a Slytherin prefect as well as a member of Professor Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad. Not long after that was when I made the acquaintance of your father at the Department of Mysteries. After his incarceration you took the Dark Mark and were inducted as a Death Eater, although by all accounts you quickly grew disillusioned with the lifestyle, as did your Mother. You were tasked with killing Professor Dumbledore and the stress of that assignment caused a significant change in both your habits and appearance that term. The amount of time you spent on the cabinet took a tremendous physical toll on you."   
  
She sighed and shook her head. "You really did look quite dreadful that term. I was concerned for your health."  
  


"Even under fear for your life and the life of your family, however, you couldn't find it in your heart to murder Albus in cold blood so Professor Snape stepped in, as per their earlier agreement. Of course, none of us, including you, knew that at the time. You left school for a while after the headmaster's death. I don't know much about your seventh year as my presence had been requested at your family home, where I finally got to meet your mother, as I mentioned before."  
  
  
Draco was struck by the casual way that she talked about her kidnapping by the Dark Lord - referring to it more as an inconvenient holiday instead of the cruel imprisonment that it had been.  
  


"I do know that when Harry, Ron and Hermione were caught by the snatchers and brought to the Manor you refused to reveal Harry's true identity to Bellatrix. That decision, as well as the fact that your mother was willing to lie to the Dark Lord about Harry's death, were key factors in Voldemort's defeat, so in a way, I suppose we all owe you a debt of gratitude."  
  


Draco blinked in surprise at her assessment of the situation as she blithely continued, "During the final battle at Hogwarts you lost one of your childhood friends in a fire. That had to be difficult for you. I'm sorry. Afterwards, you and your parents left the castle just before Nev killed the snake and Harry took down Voldemort."  
  


"Subsequently there was a trial where I joined Harry and Hermione in giving testimony in defense of you and your mother. I was sorry that she was exiled before I could speak to her in person. I wanted very much to thank her for what she did for me while I was at the Manor. As it was I had to settle for writing a letter but I was never certain if it reached her."   
  
There was a slight pang of Draco's conscience as he briefly remembered his solicitor reading a list of people whose testimony had quite likely contributed to his reduced sentence. He recalled being surprised when he heard Lovegood's name among that number but had quite honestly given no thought to the matter since that time.  
  
"The courts determined you were a minor and acting 'under duress'. That, combined with the hand written notes left behind by Professors Dumbledore and Snape, convinced the Wizengamot that the appropriate sentence for you was one year of home confinement followed by community service. You chose to serve out your sentence studying alchemy while staying on your family's property in Essex rather than in the Manor, a decision which I think was most wise of you, all things considered."

  
"Sadly, just as you began to serve out your term, your father passed away in Azkaban. Again, my condolences. Since that time your Aunt Andromeda and her grandson Teddy have been your only regular companions aside from your house elf, Mitzi."   
  


"Hold on!" snapped Draco. "How can you possibly know about my house elf?"  
  
"Harry is Teddy's godfather. According to him, Mitzi helped with the child's care for a few months right after the war while Andromeda was still in deep mourning over the loss her husband and daughter. Once Andromeda was more herself she sent Mitzi along to keep you company as well as running any errands needed during your confinement."  
  
  
"And the rest of it? How do you know all of those other things about me?" challenged Draco.  
  


"Really, Draco? In case you didn't notice - and apparently you didn't - I lived through a fair bit of that history alongside you and what I didn't witness first hand I heard about from others."  
  
"Who? Only the Death Eaters knew about the cabinet and even if my friends had known what I was doing they wouldn't have..."  
  
"Talked to me? Not entirely true." Luna tipped head to one side. "I didn't have many friends at Hogwarts before my fourth year so I talked to whoever would listen - alive or dead. I spent many hours conversing with The Grey Lady, The Bloody Baron....Moaning Myrtle." Draco's eyes widened slightly at that name. "She still speaks very highly of you, by the way."  
  


He stepped back as Luna moved closer. "But even if I hadn't been there, honestly, Draco - wouldn't anyone do extensive research on a person they were setting out on an expedition into the unknown with?" Seeing the expression on his face, Luna's countenance fell slightly. "Unless, of course, the other person is deemed so inconsequential that the effort seemed unnecessary...a category into which I obviously fall."   
  
She shouldered her pack and began to walk off. "Good to know."  
  


He called after her. "Wait. Lovegood. Stop."

  
She stopped but remained facing the other direction. "It's Scamander."

  
"Whatev..." He stopped himself and instead replied, "What else do you know?"

  
Luna turned around and stepped towards him. "I'm sorry, Draco but if you want a concise answer I'm afraid you'll need to be a bit more specific with the question."

  
Draco shuffled his feet. "About me. What else did you find out during your 'research'?"

  
"What does it matter? It's not like you care what I think about you."  
  


"Because, I..." As Draco struggled to find the words, Luna reached out and took his hand, causing him to recoil in surprise.  
  


"Draco, let me be clear. I don't say those things to make you feel bad or to shame you in any fashion. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I simply wanted you to understand."  
  


"Understand what?"  
  


"That I knew all of that about you in advance and I insisted upon your participation anyway."

  
This caught Draco completely off guard. He had assumed that his presence had been forced upon her by the Ministry.   
  
"Why? Why would you do that? Why would you agree to - much less _insist_ upon - including someone like me? I bullied you in school, my father tried to kill you, my aunt tortured you, you were held hostage in my house...."

  
"Exactly." Luna gave his fingers a sympathetic squeeze. "Draco, I don't like violence yet I still fought in a war so that people no longer had to be judged on who their families were or what they had done in the past. I pushed for your involvement in this trip because everyone deserves a second chance. I did it because I want you to be able to see your mother again."   
  
She pulled her hand back and a far off look passed over her face. "There are people who won't ever experience that kind of a reunion - at least not on this side of the veil. I would never deprive anyone of that opportunity if it is within my power to make it happen."  
  


She then glanced up and checked the position of the sun. "However, as much as I'm enjoying our chat, we are losing daylight and I'd like to get a couple of more miles under our belts before we make camp for the night. So let's get started, shall we?"  
  


Without waiting for a reply she resumed her march with Draco lagging behind, trying desperately to make some kind of sense of this confounding woman and the things she had said.  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

  
As they were making camp that night, Draco told himself that the fact that Luna possessed more information about him than he did about her placed him at a "distinct tactical disadvantage" and he determined that he needed to even the playing field as soon as possible. As they were finishing their evening meal, Luna quoted another one of her father's sayings and Draco decided this was the opening he needed.   
  
"Tell me about him."  
  
"Who?" asked Luna.  
  
"Your father."  
  


Luna raised an eyebrow, "Really? You actually want to know something about _me_?"  
  


Draco did his best to appear sincerely interested. "Yes. Yes, I do."  
  


"Very well. What would you like to know?"

  
"You said he left you the maps and other documents. When did he pass away?"  
  


"Just before the war ended. He was placed in Azkaban because he wouldn't stop supporting Harry in the Quibbler. He died there before the prison was liberated."

  
"I'm sorry." Draco shifted slightly, remembering his family's involvement in placing people like Luna's father in jail. In effort to avoid that topic he asked, "What about your mother?"  
  


"She died when I was nine. That's why my parents never made the second attempt at this journey. They were going to try again after I started school but..." Her voice trailed off as she gave a weak shrug,  
  


Draco recalled what she had said earlier about giving him the opportunity to see his mother and it dawned on him that she had been left an orphan in the aftermath of the war.   
  
"No other family?" Draco inquired. She shook her head. "What did you do after the war ended?"

  
"First, I had to find a place to stay. Our home was destroyed just before Daddy was taken to prison."

  
"So, where did you live?"

  
"How do you think I learned so much about living in tents?"   
  
Draco cringed. While his cottage in Essex was substantially smaller than the Manor it was still a good sized dwelling, not to mention a permanent structure. 

  
He cleared his throat and said, "As I recall your father's business was...moderately successful. Surely you could have lived better than that off your inheritance."

  
"Daddy left some money but it was needed for other things. To make ends meet I sold controlling interest in the Quibbler to Colin Creevy's family. It seemed like the right thing to do."

  
Draco assumed her father had somehow left her in debt and opted not to pursue that line of questioning. "Why not go stay with one of your friends? I can't imagine Potter, Longbottom or any of the others turning you out."

  
"If I had asked I'm sure they would have tried to accommodate me but they all had their own losses to grieve at that point. Besides, I knew how Nev's gran felt about me. He had fought enough battles by that point. I didn't want to put him in the position of fighting another on my account."

  
"Surely you could have gone back to Hogwart's and lived on the castle grounds? I'm certain McGonagall and Flitwick would have agreed under the circumstances."  
  


"You're probably right but..." Luna shook her head "I tried to go back once after the final battle. Too many bad memories. The place was teeming with wrackspurts, making it impossible to think clearly. A group of us petitioned to sit our N.E.W.T's early and be done with it. After all that happened they couldn't really say no, could they?"

  
Draco had no idea what wrackspurts were and ignored the reference, asking instead, "You took your N.E.W.T's without completing your final year of classes? How did that go?"

  
"I received three O's and two E's"

  
Draco's eyes widened in legitimate admiration. " _That_ is very impressive."  
  


Luna gave a dismissive wave. "With all of the practical experience I got during the war, I certainly ought to have scored well in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts." 

  
"What else did you test in?"

  
"Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology."

  
Draco raised a glass. "Difficult subjects. Quite an accomplishment. Especially with only six years of school."

  
"Technically, five and a half. I missed a portion of my sixth year."

  
"About that, Luna. I am so sorry..." Draco found his fake remorse was slowly turning genuine. He had spent most of his time after the war wallowing in self pity over his situation which - if he were honest - had been at least partially self inflicted. Luna stood up for what was right and suffered far more than he had for her troubles.

  
Luna reached for his hand. "Don't blame yourself, Draco. I was at the Manor too, remember? I saw how it was there. You were as much a prisoner as I was. True, your meals and sleeping arrangements were better but I wasn't forced to take the Dark Mark and Voldemort never tried to hug me so I'd say we came out about even on that score."  
  


"Touché." Draco pulled his hand back and attempted to navigate the conversation back to safer territory. "So...what did you do after leaving school?"

  
"I travelled, I wrote... and then I met Rolf." She smiled warmly at the memory. "It was nice to have someone that saw 'Luna' instead of 'Loony Lovegood'. I'm glad he got to know me that way before we returned home. Afraid it was a bit of a nasty shock for him to read what the papers wrote about me when we got back to Britain. Had to physically restrain him on more than one occasion from hexing Rita Skeeter into the next millennium."  
  
Draco made a face. "Should have let him. Done us all a favor."   
  


"One of life's regrets, I suppose." Luna smiled. "Well, enough about me. Fill in the gaps in my research. Why did you never marry? I had you and Pansy Parkinson figured for a manor full of children by now."  
  


"Pansy? Nah. She and I had a ...thing... I guess you'd call it back at school but after the war my views changed to the point where - let's just say that we no longer saw eye to eye on some fundamental issues," Draco admitted as he threw a stick onto the fire. "House arrest doesn't give you a broad range of people to meet. After my sentence was over it was easier to stay at home than to deal with the stares and whispers."  
  


"I can relate to that. I did much the same after Rolf died. Couldn't take all of the fake sympathy or people pretending to understand what I'd gone through. To tell the truth, Rolf and I spent so much time alone together I kind of forgot how to properly interact with other people." Luna blushed slightly. "Not that I ever excelled at that skill to begin with."

  
"You seem to be coping all right now."

  
"Just because a person isn't broadcasting emotions, Draco, doesn't mean they aren't having them," Luna said simply. "It's like when you suffer a bad injury. The open wound eventually closes but the scars are always there."   
  
She tucked up her legs and rested her chin on her knees. "I won't pretend that there aren't days when I still struggle. In my darker moments I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't have been easier to not have loved someone so much if it was going to hurt so dreadfully to lose them."  
  


"I can see where you would have those thoughts," Draco said. "Still and all though I'd have to say that you received a gift. You found someone who saw the real you. A person that looked at you with fresh eyes. No presumptions. No ancient history. Just you. In our world that's something a person can usually only dream about finding."  
  
Luna pondered that before standing and walking into her tent, leaving Draco to wonder what he said wrong. A moment later she returned, peering about the campsite as if she had misplaced something. She turned towards to him and said, "Oh, hello! I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone else was here."   
  
  
Draco looked very confused as Luna approached and said, "My most sincere apologies. Since we are complete strangers who have never met before this moment, thereby freeing us from any preconceived notions about each other, introductions are in order." She extended her hand. "My name is Luna Scamander, previously Lovegood. And you are...?"  
  


It suddenly dawned on Draco what she was trying to do and to his surprise he found it rather endearing. Deciding to play along, he rose to his feet and took her hand while giving a formal bow. "Introductions. Of course, absolutely. Hello. My name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."  
  


Luna giggled. "What an unusual name. Pleasure to meet you Malfoy Draco Malfoy."  
  


Draco attempted to keep a straight face but was only moderately successful. "The pleasure is all mine, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."  
  


Luna dropped into a deep curtsey. "Thank you, sir. So tell me - what brings you to this part of the world, Malfoy Draco Malfoy?"  
  


"Funny you should ask, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood. I happen to be seeking a mythical scroll that has the potential to save the wizarding world from being eradicated by a deadly plague."  
  


"What a coincidence, Malfoy Draco Malfoy! I happen to be doing the exact same thing!"  
  


"You don't say, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood!" Draco tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I believe I just had a capital idea. What do you think about joining forces and undertaking this quest together?"  
  
"That is brilliant, Malfoy Draco Malfoy!" Luna clapped her hands then cocked her head and furrowed her brow. "However, I believe we should call ourselves something different. By the time I have yelled, "Look out, Malfoy Draco Malfoy!" you may have already been devoured by a crumple horned snorkack."  
  


"Hmm....Excellent point. By the time I shouted, "Beware of the graphorns, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood!" it would be far too late."  
  


She gave a decisive nod. "There you have it. I suppose - in an emergency - we could call ourselves...Draco and Luna?"  
  


"Sounds like an ideal solution to me."  
  


Luna stretched her arms wide in an exaggerated yawn. "Well, it has been lovely making your acquaintance, Malfoy Draco Malfoy, but the hour grows late. May I be so bold as to invite you to have breakfast with me tomorrow morning by the fire - say about seven o'clock?"  
  


"I believe my schedule is free, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood." Draco pretended to consult an imaginary diary. "Ah, yes. It seems I do have an opening at that hour, so it would be my honor to join you."  
  


"Very well. Until then?"  
  


Draco bowed "Until then."  
  


Luna turned and entered her tent, leaving Draco chuckling and shaking his head at the campfire.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
  
**

After breakfast they set off once again. They had hiked for about half a day when they happened upon a large clearing. In the middle was an enormous dragon caught in what was obviously a poacher's trap - a three pointed rig that ensnared the creatures head, front legs and tail in such a way that it could barely move. Draco and Luna hid behind a tree at a safe distance to observe the massive beast.

  
Draco whispered, "What breed is it?"

  
"He's a Ukranian Ironbelly," Luna replied.

  
"I thought they were bigger than that."

  
"He'll be quite a bit larger when he grows up."

  
"Grows up?" Draco estimated that the beast already weighed at least three tons. "How old is he now?"

  
"I'd say he's about four months old. Their eyes get a much more vibrant shade of red once they hit maturity."

  
"Bloody hell! If that's the baby then I hope we don't meet an adult any time soon."  
  


"I hope we do. He's a beauty."

  
Draco gave her a sidewise glance and wondered at how she managed to view the world so differently than anyone else he had ever known. "How did he not see a giant trap like this in an open field?"  
  


"The poachers glamour them so they are invisible until they are tripped. They leave bait in the center and when the dragon drops in for their meal...snap." They watched the beast for a little while longer then Luna pronounced, "We have to release him."  
  
  
"We do?"  
  
"Of course."

  
"Is that safe?"

  
"I suppose that depends on how you define the word 'safe'."

  
Draco arched an eyebrow. "How about we start with 'not dying' and work our way from there."

  
"Oh! If that's your only criteria then yes - we should be relatively safe."

  
" _Relatively_ safe? How comforting."

  
"We have to do this, Draco. It's the only humane thing to do."

  
"Is there any chance of talking you out of this?" Draco took one look at her face and sighed. "That's what I thought." He dropped his pack on the ground and drew his wand. "So I'm guessing the tricky part is finding the best spot on the ropes to aim the severing charms, right?"

  
Luna wrinkled her nose and bit her lip. "About that...dragon poachers in this part of the world are a particularly nasty lot. They enchant the head and neck ropes so they can't be cut by any means - magical or muggle. The good thing is that means that get lazy with the tail restraints. Those can be severed rather easily. The trick is releasing the front ropes so the dragon can burn that one off himself."

  
Draco looked confused. "Wait - if the front ropes can't be cut by _any_ means then how do the poachers remove them?"

  
"They leave the poor creatures to starve to death and then untie the knots manually post mortem."

  
"Are you telling me that the only way to release this dragon is to climb onto its back and physically untie the front restraints?"

  
"Yes. Then he can swing around and burn through back rope on his own," said Luna.

  
"And THIS is what you are proposing we do?"

  
"Yes."

  
"And what will stop the creature from annihilating us before, during _or_ after this procedure?" asked Draco.

  
"I'm sure that once he figures out that we are trying to release him that he will be grateful and not want to hurt us."

  
Draco couldn't help himself. He blurted out, "Are you insane?"  
  


Luna shrugged. "That seems to be the prevailing theory."  
  


Draco reviewed his options. He wanted nothing more than to walk off and leave her but he was fairly certain that returning with the news that he had allowed a former war hero to be incinerated by a dragon would invalidate his agreement with the ministry. Realizing that he had no other choice he pocketed his wand and growled, "Fine. What do you need me to do?"  
  


"Take off your shoes, climb up the dragon's back and untie the ropes around his neck. Once his head is free he can take care of the rest."  
  


"No. Not a chance. Absolutely not. There was _nothing_ in the agreement that I signed that in any way mentioned risking my life by climbing on top of a angry, wounded dragon."  
  


"All right," said Luna. "Then you can stand in front of him to serve as the distraction while _I_ climb up and release the ropes. I'll try my best not to tickle him on the way up. Dragon snorts can be toasty."

  
Draco's eyes darted from her to the dragon and back. "You know, now that I have taken a moment to further assess the situation, I believe climbing is probably the more suitable alternative for me."  
  


Luna smiled sweetly. "That's what I thought. Now, as soon as you loosen the ropes, slide down under his wing. It will give you shelter from the flames as he turns."

  
"What are you going to do?"

  
"If this goes according to plan he will be looking the other way long enough for me to get to cover."

  
"And if it _doesn't_ go according to plan?" asked Draco.

  
"Then I will spare the ministry the cost of a cremation. Now go and let me distract Elliott."

  
"Elliott?"

  
"All creatures deserve names, Draco."

  
"Of course. How silly of me."

  
"Draco?"

  
"Yes?"

  
"Stop talking and climb." Luna stepped out of the tree line and began to address the dragon directly. "Hello there, Elliott. My name is Luna and this is Draco. Don't be afraid. We won't hurt you. We're here to help." She edged closer. "Please don't incinerate the help."

  
While Luna kept up a steady stream of assurances, Draco circled around and climbed up the creature's back, muttering a string of curse words that would have made an entire legion of Death Eaters blush. He reached the head and began loosening the knots. It took a few tries and he nearly lost his footing more than once but eventually the restraints gave way. As soon as they did, Draco slid down the side of the neck where, as Luna had predicted, the dragon's leathery wings protected him from the fiery blast.

  
Draco rolled off into some high grass and began looking for Luna. He was beginning to grow concerned when a little blond head popped up a few feet to his right, grinning and waving. He was just about to relax when a huge shadow fell over them. Draco froze in terror as the giant head of the dragon descended upon them. He held his breath as Elliott pressed his enormous snout against first Draco and then Luna, inhaling deeply.  
  


To Draco's amazement instead of cowering in fear Luna reached up and cuddled the massive creature. "There you go, Elliott. Be more careful about free meals in the future, okay?"

  
The dragon gave a contented huff before flapping his wings and flying away. Luna strolled over to Draco and offered him a hand up.   
  
"See? That worked out just fine," Luna said as she picked up her pack and set off into the forest as if nothing of consequence had occurred. 

  
Draco trailed behind, unable to formulate words. He was at an utter loss as to what to make of this maddening little witch. She was either the bravest person he ever met or the most foolhardy. Either way, now more than ever he was seriously questioning her sanity. It wasn't until later in the day that an unsettling thought occurred to him:   
  
Who would be considered more mentally unbalanced - the madwoman or the person that continued to follow after her?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

  
They continued on and over the next few days Draco found himself actually starting to enjoy Luna's observations and anecdotes. He put this down to the fact that for the past year and a half what few conversations he had taken part in had been with an elderly aunt, a toddler and a house elf.

  
One day as Luna was beginning to relate yet another story about her father's search for the elusive Crumple-Horned Snorkack, Draco caught sight of a dark flash out of the corner of his eye. Years of quidditch training kicked in and he leapt forward and grabbed the projectile just seconds before it slammed into the back of Luna's skull.  
  
Luna spun around just as another object rocketed towards her. This time Draco managed to grab the sleeve of her jacket and pull her aside while casting a shield charm over both of them.   
  
Luna's gaze darted around then she motioned for Draco to follow her, changing their course to swing wide and avoid a thick grove of trees on their right. She whispered, "Its a fruit bearing variant of the whomping willow. It throws fruit at passersby in order to frighten off those who would steal from it."  
  
Once they were a safe distance away, Luna smiled at him. "Thank you for saving me back there, Draco. Your reflexes are most impressive. I take back almost everything I said about you in my quidditch commentary during fourth year."  
  


Draco couldn't help but laugh at the forthright expression on her face. "That's okay. I probably deserved whatever it was you said. I'd wager it wasn't the worst thing ever said about me. Since the war the Wizarding Press often has a field day at my expense."  
  


Luna gave a knowing nod. "I've been a target as well. It can be rough when they start going at you. Over time I learned not to take what they said too seriously. Eventually I even made a game out of it." She leaned towards him. "Can I tell you a secret?"

  
Draco shrugged. "Sure."

  
With a gleam in her eye she confided, "When Rolf and I got married it was a very small, informal ceremony and we didn't bother taking pictures. When we returned to Britain the press was clamoring for wedding photos so we staged some. Since I knew they were going to write horrible things about whatever I wore, I decided to have a little fun with them."  
  


"How so?"  
  


"I determined that I would create the most over the top bridal ensemble the world had ever seen."  
  


Remembering some of clothes she had worn at school, Draco was hesitant to imagine what Luna would consider 'over the top' but curiosity got the better of him.   
  
  
"Okay. I'll bite. What did you come up with?"  
  


Luna rummaged around in her backpack and pulled out a tattered copy of Witch Weekly Magazine. She turned to a specific page and pointed.   
  
"See for yourself."  
  


"Great Godric's Ghost!" Draco snorted in disbelief. Staring back at him, under the headline _'Baffling Bridal Bungles_ ', was a full page photo of Luna, proudly wearing a gown comprised entirely of rainbows and spangles and topped with a tiara made of silver unicorn horns.  
  
Luna giggled. "I know, right?"  
  


Draco burst into laughter. "And your husband agreed to this?"  
  


"Who do you think added the unicorn horns? They're reproductions by the way. No actual unicorns were harmed in the making of that outfit."  
  


"Dare I even ask what they said about it in the press?"  
  
Luna lifted her chin and announced, "Rita Skeeter said it was the most horrendous atrocity she had ever laid eyes upon and it was voted 'Most Hideous Outfit of the Year' by the readers of the Daily Prophet. It is an achievement that I am still quite proud of. I made them send me the trophy. It sits on my mantle to this day."  
  


Draco handed back the magazine and asked, "Didn't that bother you?"  
  


"Oh, Draco, the only opinions that matter to me are the ones of the people that I know and love. That does not happen to include Rita Skeeter or the majority of subscribers to the Daily Prophet. I know who I am and what I am. If other people aren't inclined to learn the truth about me that is their problem, not mine."

  
She dropped the magazine back in her bag and set off down the path again. Watching her walk away Draco felt a strange mixture of pride and envy and it dawned on him that, despite his most determined efforts, he was actually growing fond of this odd little witch.   
  


xoxox  
  


A few days later they were debating the pros and cons of different types of spell craft as they hiked through the forest. As Luna turned a tight corner in front of him and disappeared behind a massive oak, Draco made what he thought was a particularly good argument. When he heard nothing back from her, he announced smugly, "No response to that one, eh? Where is the press when you actually need them? I've rendered Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood speechle...."

  
He came around the large tree and froze as he saw two burly men holding both a wand and knife to Luna's throat. Before he could react Draco found himself in the same predicament. Soon they were both disarmed and their captors shoved them down a path leading in the opposite direction than they had been heading.  
  


Draco whispered, "Who are they?"

  
Luna replied, "Bulgarian dragon poachers."

  
"Wow. The fun just never stops with you, does it?"

  
"Rolf always said I knew how to show a man a good time."

  
The poachers continued to push them along until they reached a large open field where the pair were directed to a specific spot in the center of the clearing.   
  
Draco glanced around. "Why are they bringing us out here?"  
  


"So they can use our bodies for bait."  
  


"Oh. Right. Regret asking now." Draco spotted the way some of the poachers were eyeing Luna and it occurred to him that her death might not be the only thing they had on their minds.  
  


When one of the poachers started shoved them together, Draco placed himself between the man and Luna. The burly figure shouted at them and Luna translated, "He's saying that we should stand here and not move."  
  


Draco gave her a tight smile. "Figured that out myself, thanks."  
  


They positioned themselves so they were back to back in an attempt to keep watch on their captors. The poachers immediately got busy assembling a large mechanism around them.   
  
"What are they doing?" Draco asked.  
  


"Building the trap around us," said Luna.  
  


"And why haven't they killed us already?"  
  


"The fresher the kill the more effective the bait. Even using magic, it takes a while to finish a rig this complicated. They'll wait until the trap is complete and then kill us."  
  


"Oh." There was a long pause before Draco said, "Luna?"  
  


"Yes?"  
  


"Remind me not to ask any more questions."   
  


Something caught Luna's attention and she reached for Draco's hand. "Draco? How is your Bulgarian?"  
  


"Other than a few rather crass insults about Viktor Krum? Nonexistent. Yours?"  
  


"I think I recall enough to make this work," said Luna.  
  


"Make what work?" asked Draco.  
  


"I have an plan."  
  


"Really? Excellent. Would _love_ to hear about it."  
  


"In all fairness it is a pretty terrible plan but it's the only one I've got." Luna gave him a hopeful look. "I don't suppose you have any ideas you'd like to share?"  
  


"Does rethinking all of the choices that brought me to this particular moment in life count as a plan?" asked Draco.  
  


"No," said Luna.  
  


"Well, there's your answer."  
  


"Right. Let's try this first then." Luna began calling out in Bulgarian. The poachers stopped briefly then laughed and went back to work.  
  


"What did you say?" asked Draco.  
  


"I was giving them a chance to let us go unharmed before something awful happened to them."  
  


"And the something awful was...?"  
  


"I didn't specify," said Luna.  
  


Draco rolled his eyes. "And they didn't rush to release us? I'm shocked."  
  


"I had to give them an opportunity, Draco. Unless our death is imminent and we are left with no other options, what happens next might be considered criminal."  
  


"What are you on about?"  
  


"The next part of the plan is a bit...iffy. Step one is I need to provoke them into hurting me."  
  


"They want to _kill_ us, Luna. I really don't think any more provocation is necessary."  
  


Luna shook her head. "What I meant was I need to be sure that whatever spell they cast on me draws the proper amount of blood."  
  


Draco spun around and yelped, " _What_?!"   
  


The poachers looked up and Luna glared at him. " _Shhh_! Now, when I give the signal, drop and cover your eyes. Once I am on the ground, make sure mine are covered as well then turn our faces towards the ground as much as possible. Don't hesitate, not even for a second. Do you understand?"  
  


"Do I have any choice?"  
  


"Not really."  
  


Draco swallowed hard and nodded. "Fine. What is the signal?"  
  


"When I squeeze your hand." Luna pivoted so they were now facing in the same direction and began yelling at the poachers.  
  


"What are you saying this time?" Draco asked.  
  


"If I remember the language correctly, I am commenting on the sex lives of their mothers."  
  


"Oh, good. Here I worried it was something that could conceivably make our situation _worse_."  
  


"I need them distracted, focused on me and moving in a bit closer," said Luna.  
  


Draco hissed, "And the only way to accomplish that is to..."  
  


Luna brusquely cut him off. "Be _quiet_ , Draco. I need to concentrate to make this work without my wand."   
  


She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and squeezed his hand. As he dropped to the ground he heard her whisper something under her breath then felt an enormous surge of magic explode from her. A second later the spell rebounded and hit her square on, covering her in gashes and blood as she collapsed next to him. 

  
Draco stared in horror before forcing himself to do what she had requested. He covered her eyes and shut his own tightly as he turned their faces towards the ground. He heard the men running toward them then felt a tremendous rush of wind followed by an intense blast of heat. He heard agonizing screams as the putrid stench of burnt flesh threatened to overwhelm him. He remained frozen in place until he felt a nudge at his back, followed by another a few seconds later.  
  


He opened his eyes to find Elliott the dragon standing with his wings spread protectively over them. A quick glance around confirmed Draco's suspicions - the poachers had all been fried to a crisp.   
  


Draco hoped their captors had left the packs at the edge of the clearing or they most certainly would not have survived the blast. He cast a summoning spell and breathed a sigh of relief as his wand flew across the field and into his trembling hand. His stomach dropped when he turned Luna over and saw the full extent of her injuries and he struggled to focus so he could remember the proper incantations for treating these kind of wounds.  
  


Elliott grunted and Draco said, "I'm going as fast as I can. This first part needs to be done in a precise sequence or she may not heal properly." He closed his eyes and muttered, " _And I'm talking to a dragon_..."  
  


Just then Luna's eyes snapped open. She sat up and shook her head, groaning as she stretched her arms and legs. "Right. Okay. We're alive. That's a good start." She surveyed the carnage surrounding them, shook her head sadly and whispered, "I am so sorry. I didn't see any other choice."  
  


Draco fought to get his heart rate under control. "Do you mind telling me what _the_ _hell_ just happened?"  
  


Luna gingerly rose to her feet. "Mr. Ollivander and I talked a fair bit about wandlore while we were sharing time in the cellars during the war. He taught me an old charm that let you bounce a spell off a wand towards another person. Sort of a sneak attack, if you will. I decided to use it to cast a modified version of Sectumsempra on myself."

  
"Why?!"

  
She reached up and gave Elliott a gentle scratch on the nose. "I noticed our friend flying over the tree line. I thought if he saw us being attacked he would return the favor and rescue us. He gave me a pretty good sniff when we released him. They don't have the best eyesight but their olfactory senses are superb so I reckoned if he could smell enough blood he would know it was me. I couldn't risk them using a killing curse on us right away so I controlled the situation the best I could."  
  


Draco stared in astonishment. "Your _entire plan_ was to injure yourself in the hopes that a wild dragon would not only recognize but also feel a sense of obligation to humans it had encountered _once_?"  
  


"I told you beforehand it that the plan was iffy and you said you didn't have any other ideas."  
  


"Y-you- you are certifiably insane," Draco spluttered. "Do you have any idea how dangerous, foolhardy, irresponsible, m-moronic..."  
  


Luna sighed and said, "I am going to just assume that this is just the Malfoy way of saying, 'Thank you very much for saving our lives, Luna' and respond by saying, "You're welcome, Draco'."  
  


She summoned her pack and began walking across the glen, retrieving any of the poacher's belongings that had survived the flames and depositing them inside her bag. Draco looked on before smugly calling after her, "Didn't figure you for one that went in for looting and plundering the dead, Lovegood."  
  


"I thought we had this sorted, Draco. It's _Scamander_ and I'm not looting. These men had families. When we return home I need to have a way to identify them so proper restitution can be paid out to their loved ones."  
  


"Are you _serious_?! These men were ruthless criminals that had no problem killing innocent people and using them as bait in their illegal activities. Do you honestly think rewarding their families for this behavior is a wise use of the Ministry's resources?"  
  


Luna kept on with her task. "I don't know anything about these men or why they made the choices they did, Draco. They may have felt backed into a corner, forced by circumstances to participate in activities they would otherwise never considered. Whatever their motives, it doesn't matter. Their families shouldn't suffer because of their actions. The sins of the fathers should never fall upon the children. Besides, it won't be the Ministry's money. These men died because of my actions so I will fund the restitution out of my own pocket."   
  


"Now I know you're joking," Draco snorted. "By that logic, you would have recompensed anyone that you injured in battle during the war."  
  


When he received no response, Draco's eyes slowly widened. He scrambled to his feet and started towards her. "Bloody hell. That's it. That's what you did. That's what happened to your inheritance. Your father didn't leave you saddled with debt. You sold the family business in order to give money to the families of people you hurt during the war."  
  


Luna kept her back to him. "Not all of it. Some of the families didn't exist after the war so there was no one to compensate. In those cases the money went to charity."  
  


Draco grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Damn it, Luna! You were a homeless, orphaned war victim. You _were_ a bloody charity!"  
  


Luna looked at him and he was struck by the haunted expression in her eyes. "I _hurt_ people, Draco. I was even responsible for taking some lives during the final battle. Yes, it was a war, and yes I was protecting my friends, but I still feel the weight of those actions. I needed to do something to try and ease my conscience so that's what I did. I'll admit that it was difficult but it was the only way I could start to make peace with what I'd done."   
  


Draco's gut twisted as a horrible thought occurred to him. "Did...did you give _my_ family any money?"  
  


"I tried but your solicitor refused it. I donated to a fund established to build a proper memorial to the house elves instead."  
  


He stood dumbfounded as Luna picked up the last few items and nuzzled the dragon before setting off back towards their original route, Draco once again trailing behind.  
  


They travelled in silence until they stopped for the night, at which point Draco stalked over and thrust a small vial towards her. "I'm assuming you have a wash tub in there?" He gestured towards her tent and she nodded. "Good. Soak in this. It's a special blend of dittany brewed specifically for injuries like the ones you sustained today. If it's a standard size tub use about twenty five drops. It will prevent the wounds from scarring. Stay in the water for at least half an hour." He motioned towards her face. "Put three or four drops directly on that one. It will sting like hell for a few minutes but then it will stop."   
  
With that he turned on his heel and stomped off, secretly wishing that a person could slam a door when they entered a tent.  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

  
After her bath Luna joined Draco by the fire. Once they finished their meal Draco reached into his pocket and produced a small item wrapped in foil which he shoved in her direction.   
  
"Here."   
  


"What's this?" asked Luna.  
  


"It's the _other_ Malfoy way of saying, "Thank you very much for saving our lives today, Luna," said Draco, dryly.  
  


She read the label. "European chocolate?" She unwrapped one corner, nibbled a piece and moaned softly. "Oh. Oh, my. _This_ is excellent. You've been holding out on me, Malfoy Draco Malfoy."  
  
"Mother tries to send some whenever she is able. Usually the ministry has confiscated all of the good stuff before the packages get to me. I suppose since they assumed they were sending us to our imminent demise they allowed some contraband to slip through."  
  


They sat for a minute before Luna asked, "When was the last time you saw your mother?"  
  


Draco kicked at a small stone by his foot. "Just before she got deported and I was placed under house arrest."  
  


Luna took another bite of the chocolate. "That's a long time."  
  


Draco nodded then said, "Listen, Lovego..." She arched an eyebrow and he corrected himself. "Apologies. Luna." He took a deep breath. "I don't mean to sound indelicate but I have to ask." He fixed her with a hard stare. "This is the third time since we set out on this expedition that I've watched you risk your life in what I can only refer to as 'extreme behavior'. So I need to know. Are you out here deliberately trying to..."   
  


He faltered so she finished the sentence for him. "Kill myself?"  
  


There was a brief pause before Draco answered, "Yes."  
  


Luna began folding the now empty chocolate wrapper. "Despite evidence to the contrary, Draco, I don't want to die. As a matter of fact, I am desperately trying to live."  
  


Draco snorted, "Sorry. No offense, Luna, but if you really want to live then you have a hell of a way of showing it."  
  


"Fair enough." Luna kept folding the piece of foil. "You need to understand something, Draco. While everything I said earlier about dealing with the past is true, it is also true that my father and my husband were...." She struggled to find the right words. "They meant everything to me. So when Daddy died all alone in a cell in Azkaban and then my husband died without me..." Her voice trailed off into an awkward silence.  
  


Draco waited then quietly asked, "Luna, what actually happened to Rolf?"  
  
"He contracted the pox on his last expedition to the Carpathian Mountains. I was supposed to be with him - but I wasn't."  
  


"May I ask why not?"  
  


"The morning we were scheduled to leave I woke up with what we thought was a stomach virus. Turned out to be a slight case of food poisoning but as a precaution I stayed behind so as to not contaminate the specimens we were supposed to collect. A local guide went with Rolf instead. Two days into the trip they took ill with the pox. It somehow interfered with their magic so they were unable to fly or apparate and due to the terrain it took a full day on foot for them to get back to civilization. By the time word reached me, Rolf was unconscious and in isolation in a hospital in Krakow. All I could do at that point was watch through the glass, unable to hold him or tell him that I loved him before..."   
  
She turned her attention to the foil butterfly she had created. She held it up to her lips and with a puff of air sent it flying up into the trees.  
  


Draco fought against the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "I'm certain your husband knew how much you loved him, Luna."  
  


"Maybe. Doesn't make it hurt any less." Luna began absentmindedly fingering her wedding ring. "When he died I...well, I shut down for a while. I didn't get out of bed for almost a week after his funeral. Didn't leave the house for two weeks. Didn't leave the property for another week after that." She looked up at the stars. "Then it became easier to avoid people."

  
Draco nodded. While he had never experienced a love or a loss to the extent she had, he could understand the desire for solitude while in pain.  
  


Luna gazed at the woods surrounding them. "When I did start going out again it was mainly to places like this - the forest where I could be alone with nature. The plants and animals never looked at me strangely. They didn't want to know if I'd 'found closure' or ask 'wasn't it time to 'get back out there and date someone'. "   
  
She rolled her eyes. "She's a dear friend and I know that she meant well, but so help me, if Hermione Granger had offered to set me up with someone from her office one more time I was going to hex her bald."  
  


Draco barked out a laugh then struggled to compose himself. "I'm so sorry, Luna. No disrespect intended. I was just really enjoying that mental picture."   
  


"Honestly? The image cheered me up on occasion as well," Luna said, a half smile crossing her face.  
  
"The truth is, Draco, that while I managed to dull the pain, I managed to dull everything else as well. When I was younger I saw the world as an endless kaleidoscope of colors but after losing both Daddy and Rolf everything went dim for a while. So I thought this mission might be the chance I needed. The chance to really feel something - anything - again. It may not have been the healthiest way to deal with the situation but..."  
  


"It is what it is," said Draco.  
  


"Exactly," said Luna.  
  


"I think I understand what you are saying Luna, but do you suppose we could shoot for feeling something other than abject terror for the foreseeable future?"  
  


Luna pursed her lips to one side. "Well...I don't like to make promises that I'm not certain I can keep but I will make more of an effort if you think it will help."  
  


Draco chuckled softly. "I suppose that is all I can ask for."  
  


They sat listening to the crackle of the fire until Luna said, "Thank you, Draco."  
  


"For what?"  
  


"For not being afraid to bring up the subject. For letting me be honest about feeling sad. For asking about Rolf. For allowing me talk about him. For not treating me like everyone else has recently - as if I'm some fragile object that is going to break apart if they mention his name."  
  


" _Fragile_? You? Whoever treated you like that never met you. You might bend a fair bit but I think it would take a hell of a lot to break you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."   
  


"I sincerely hope you're right, Malfoy Draco Malfoy." She finished her tea and started towards her tent.   
  
Just before she slipped inside Draco called out, "Luna?"  
  


She glanced back over her shoulder. "Yes?"  
  


"That wandless thing you did today. That was pretty impressive." Draco studied the empty cup in his hand. "Think you could teach me how to do it?"  
  


"Maybe. I suppose I could be convinced to trade lessons for chocolates. If that isn't outside of the terms of your agreement, I mean."  
  


Draco smiled. "I think that I could arrange for an exception in this case."  
  
"Then it's a deal," said Luna. "You know - you should do that more often."  
  
  
"What? Arrange for exceptions?"

  
"No. Smile. It suits you," said Luna. "Well, good night, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. Sleep tight. I'll try not to get us killed tomorrow."  
  


He raised the cup in her direction. "Good night, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood. Thank you. I'd appreciate that."   
  


She went inside and Draco stared at the fire for long time before retiring for the evening, where he slept until the nightmares returned.  
  



	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9  
  
**

Draco fell asleep quickly but it wasn't long before his brain, triggered by the scent of the incinerated poachers, conjured up the all too familiar memories of being caught in the Room of Requirement, reliving the horrific moments during the final battle where he heard and smelled Vincent Crabbe burning to death.  
  


He struggled to wake up but found himself trapped - as he so often did - inside the nightmare. As he fought to break free he slowly became aware of a soft voice infiltrating his thoughts, making him dimly aware of a world beyond the cloying smoke and stifling heat surrounding him.   
  
"Draco? Draco, it's me. Luna. Can you hear me? Please nod if you can hear me."  
  


He nodded reflexively but was still unable to escape the dark vision that encircled him. The soothing voice continued, "Good. That's really good. Try to focus on my voice, okay? Block out everything else and while you are doing that I want you to try to feel me breathing. Can you do that for me? Concentrate on trying to breathe like I am - deep breaths in and out. In and out." She inhaled and exhaled slowly to demonstrate. "Just like that - got it?"  
  


He tried to mimic her actions and heard her say, "That's it. You're doing really good. Now I want you to focus on finding a smell. Nothing from the dream, something from the present, okay?"  
  


Draco worked hard to push back the acrid odor of soot and burnt flesh that clamored for his attention. Instead he zeroed in on a fresh, clean scent which now seemed to envelop him. It took a moment for him to realize that it was the smell of Luna's newly washed hair.  
  


"Do you have one?"   
  
Draco nodded.   
  
  
"Good. Remember to keep breathing with me, okay? Now I want you to find something you can feel. It can be your clothes, the sheets, anything at all. Just pick something and let yourself concentrate on that for a minute."  
  


The first sensation he became aware of was the soft feel of Luna's jumper under his fingers and it was then he realized how tightly he was clinging to her. He relaxed his grip ever so slightly while still allowing himself to take in the reassuring warmth she was providing.  
  


As he savored that feeling it occurred to him that he couldn't remember the last time anyone had actually held him. He had almost forgotten how comforting the touch of another person could be. Slowly the tension began to ease out of his shoulders.   
  
Luna felt him relax and whispered, "Good. Good job. Now - try to open your eyes and look at something - something here in the room, something you know is really here, right now."  
  


Draco managed to force his eyes open and the first thing he saw was a forest of blond hair and the pale shell of Luna's ear. He stared at that for a moment then moved back just far enough that he could look at her face. Their eyes met and he was touched by the deep concern he found there. She placed a hand gently on his cheek.  
  
"Draco? Do you recognize me? Do you know where you are?"  
  


"Yes. I do. Thank you." He cleared his throat and sat back a few more inches. "Sorry about that."  
  


Her hand dropped into her lap . "It's okay. I understand about bad dreams. To be perfectly honest, it's another reason I requested you for the expedition." 

  
Draco blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I suffer from them as well. I was worried about what might happen on this trip if I forgot to cast a silencing charm before bed but...well, I had a sneaking suspicion that you might understand." She gave him a soft smile then said, "You were yelling something before. A boy's name. Vincent? That was your friend at school, wasn't it?"  
  


Draco nodded. Luna sat very still then said, "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to but I've found that sometimes talking about a traumatic event can be helpful. If that's the case then I'd be willing to listen - if you'd like."  
  
To his surprise Draco, perhaps emboldened by the way Luna had shared about the loss of her husband earlier, found himself opening up a bit about Crabbe. "We'd known each other since we were three years old. He wasn't really the best friend you could have. Truth be told, he was kind of an idiot but..."  
  


"He was your idiot?" Luna said gently.  
  


"I suppose," Draco said. "We had a massive falling out just before he died. He was being stupid and reckless. Cast the Fiendfyre that day at Hogwarts without knowing the spell to extinguish it. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. All of a sudden there was fire and smoke and the smell..."  
  
Draco's voice trailed off and to his relief, Luna simply nodded rather than pushing for more detail.

  
He took a deep breath and attempted to change the subject. "So, th-that thing you did just now - to wake me up. What was that?"  
  


"Something Daddy taught me. It's a way to help you sort out what's part of the dream and what's real. After what happened with my Mum I had horrid nightmares and it would take ages for Daddy to get me to wake up. It used to help me so I thought I'd try it with you."  
  


"What happened to your Mother?" Draco asked then immediately regretted it. "I am so sorry, Luna. That was uncalled for. I shouldn't have..."   
  


"No. It's okay. My Mum was quite an extraordinary witch but she loved to experiment. When I was nine she tried out a new spell and it backfired badly. She tried to shield me and..." Luna stared at a spot across the room and her voice dropped to a near whisper. "I've never told anyone this, but after the spell struck her, she fell on top of me. At first I thought she was just stunned, you know? I rolled her over and started shaking her but she wouldn't wake up. Then Daddy ran in."   
  
Luna shivered at the memory. "The scream he let out was so raw it was barely human. I'd never heard anything like it and hoped I never would again. Then the war came a few years later and...well, there was a lot of screaming after that."  
  


Draco pushed back at the memory of Vincent's shrieks of pain and tried to distract himself by focusing on Luna instead. He had limited experience in comforting other people and was unsure how to respond so he opted for a tentative pat on her shoulder.   
  
"I'm sorry, Luna. That must have been awful. I can't imagine losing my mother in such a manner, especially at that age."  
  


"Thank you."   
  
Draco was at a loss as to what to say next so he simply sniffed and looked about the room as if the appropriate words might materialize out of thin air.   
  
  
After a moment, Luna ventured, "Draco? Would it be all right if I slept in here tonight?"  
  


Draco shrank away from her and adjusted the duvet on his bed. "I hardly think that's necessary. I can take care of myself. I don't need a babysitter."  
  


"I don't mean for you. I mean...It's just...well - honestly, otherwise I won't be able to get back to sleep. I'll be in my tent listening to hear if you start screaming again, even if I know you've cast a silencing charm. I wasn't implying anything inappropriate. I could set my cot over there," She gestured at a spot several feet away. "Of course, I completely understand if you find that arrangement unsuitable. I simply thought..."  
  


Draco quickly jumped in. "Well, if it will make you feel better then I suppose there's no harm in it for one night. I suppose it's the least I can do for disturbing your sleep."  
  


Luna gave an almost imperceptible nod then pulled her wand from the pocket of her jumper and summoned a small cot which she levitated to a spot on the other side of the tent. Draco took one look at the tiny camp bed and rolled his eyes. He reached for his own wand and with a flick of his wrist transformed her cot into an ornate little sleigh bed complete with intricate wood carvings on the headboard.  
  
"Just because we are staying in tents doesn't mean we can enjoy a few luxuries, Loveg...Luna."  
  
"Thank you, Draco. That was very thoughtful." She moved towards the bed, which neither one of them acknowledged was now significantly closer than the position that Luna had originally indicated. She slipped under the pile of soft blankets that Draco had conjured for her and - to the surprise of both - they soon fell sound asleep.   
  
At one point in the night Draco woke up and saw their arms were extended towards each other with their hands almost touching. His fingers reflexively twitched towards hers but then he came to his senses, snatched his arm back, rolled over and went back to sleep.   
  
When he rose in the morning both Luna and the bed were gone. As they went along that day neither of them mentioned the incident and Draco couldn't decide if this relieved or annoyed him. Already feeling vulnerable about sharing such private emotions, he determined to put the whole thing out of his mind and keep his guard up in the future.  
  


The day after that was fairly uneventful. They covered a lot of ground and Draco continued to quietly pay attention to the remarks Luna made regarding the unusual flora and fauna specimens that they encountered along the way. They had dinner as usual then retreated into their own tents for the night.  
  


That evening he had the first dream about her. It started off as a simple replay of the moments after being saved from the poachers. Everything was the same until the point where Draco gave Luna the dittany for her bath. In the dream she asked for his help placing the oil on a cut on the back of her neck. As he leaned in to apply the ointment Luna turned and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was beginning to turn heated when Draco awoke with a start.  
  
His eyes snapped open and he lay in bed for a long time before reluctantly rising to join her for breakfast. He rushed through the meal, trying avoid eye contact with her. As they travelled along he found himself being terse and surly towards her. By the time they selected a campsite in the late afternoon he had resolved to steer clear of her until he could get a better handle on what was going on inside his mind.  
  


He grabbed a couple of the journals, flopped down under a large tree a few yards away from the tents and dove into the task of translating more of the runes. He vaguely recalled hearing her say something about bowtruckles but he merely gave a distracted grunt and continued reading. It wasn't until he became aware of how the shadows were beginning to lengthen that he actually noticed her absence.  
  


He called her name but received nothing but silence in return. As the minutes ticked by he found himself growing concerned. He paced about the camp and shouted for her a couple of more times. When he got no reply his concern began to morph into apprehension. He ventured further into the woods and called out again. This time, in the distance, there was a faint response and what he heard vaulted him firmly from apprehension into panic, because in it Draco detected the one thing he never imagined he would hear in Luna's voice.   
  


When she called out his name, Draco could swear that he heard fear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Draco swiftly summoned his wand and charged through the forest in the direction he had last heard Luna's voice, paying no mind to the branches and briars that tore at his flesh and cloths along the way. He heard her again, closer this time, now speaking loudly in a language he didn't recognize. He broke through the underbrush and into a clearing where he saw Luna - her back towards him, surrounded by what appeared to be a group of young men. One of them was on the ground, scrambling to his feet as the others moved towards her in a menacing fashion.  
  


In an effort to buy time to better assess the situation, Draco fired off a curse which caused a tree next to the group to explode. Luna took advantage of the distraction and ran towards him, catapulting herself into his arms. She placed her mouth close to his ear and quickly whispered, "They are a group of young male wood elves. They overpowered me and took my wand. I managed some wandless defense before I got hit and lost my concentration. They seem to view women as property. If you pretend to be insulted that they harmed your female they should back down and allow us to leave."  
  


Draco gave a sharp nod of understanding. She pulled away and his heart nearly stopped when he saw there was blood flowing from her lip and that the right side of her face was black and blue from where she had obviously been struck hard with a blunt object.   
  
Draco's eyes turned cold and his body began to quake with a barely concealed fury. There was no need for him to fake outrage at this point.  
  


He pushed Luna behind him, pointing his wand at the group which had begun to pull themselves back together. As Draco let another curse fly, one of the elves was just able to throw up a shield which managed to block the full force of the blast but still caused them to fall backwards. One of the bigger boys got to his feet and lunged at Draco, who blasted a curse that caused the youth to fly in the air, slamming into a nearby tree. The boy staggered to his feet, holding his arm as if it were broken.

  
Just as Draco prepared to strike again a loud commotion nearby caused all parties to freeze. The young elves huddled up and began to speak in rapid, hushed tones. They all looked frightened, with the exception of the ring leader who appeared to be simply annoyed that his fun was being disrupted.  
  
As Draco maintained a defensive stance, Luna quietly advised, "I can't hear much of what they're saying but it seems that someone of high authority is coming. If you possess a title of any kind it would help to use it when first addressing him. Invoke diplomatic privilege. Mention rules of hospitality, breach of etiquette, anything of that nature should work in our favor."  
  
"Will they speak English?"  
  
Luna nodded, "They should. Most magical folk in this part of the world speak the language at some level and elves tend to be better educated than most."  
  
Before she could say more a large group, consisting of mainly adult male wood elves entered the glen. They all possessed a distinctly official air about them but the one in front was obviously the leader. He was slightly taller than the rest, his robes were of a more elaborate style and on his head was a circlet of silver. He walked purposefully towards the two groups, positioned himself between them and spoke briefly to the young men before turning towards Draco and Luna.  
  


Draco stepped forward and challenged the stately figure before him. "Are you in charge here?"  
  


"I am Aldaron, King of the Wood Elves and ruler of this realm," said the elf. "I surmise from your speech that you are English, correct?"   
  


"Correct," snapped Draco. His mind raced, trying to assess the best titles to make use of in this situation. "I am Lord Malfoy. Descendant of the House of Black and duly appointed Emissary of the Minister of Magic, travelling through this realm on a diplomatic mission of the utmost importance."   
  


"My apologies, Lord Malfoy," said the King with a slight nod of his head. "It seems that at the moment we are encountering a slight cultural misunderstanding."  
  


"A _misunderstanding_? Does the state of this woman look like a _misunderstanding_ to you?" Draco snarled, moving aside slightly so the king could see Luna's condition. "Or is it an accepted practice in your _culture_ for the young to feel entitled to violently molest the consort of a diplomat and high lord without fear of consequence?"  
  


The elf king paled slightly. This was clearly not the situation he had been led to believe it was. He whipped round and spoke harshly to the boys in Elvish. The ringleader responded and, even though he didn't speak the language, Draco immediately recognized the smirk and insolent stance as being very much like himself at that age, causing him to want to hurt the youth even more than he already did.  
  


The King's jaw clenched as he began to translate that the boy claimed that there was confusion due to the language barrier and that since "the lady in question" did not bear anyone's mark they thought that she was simply playing hard to get in their "game."  
  
Draco got the distinct impression that the original language used about Luna was considerably cruder than what the King translated. He gripped his wand and was preparing to hex the young man when Luna spoke out in Elvish - to the surprise of everyone except the boys which had attacked her. She turned towards Draco and said, "I am informing them that I made it quite clear in both English and Elvish that I was not interested in anything they were proposing and that I was most certainly not enjoying whatever 'game' they thought they were playing."

  
The King addressed her kindly, "My lady, may I ask how you learned to speak Elvish so beautifully?"

  
Luna bowed her head in respect. "In my childhood, your majesty, I traveled to numerous lands with my father, a collector of tales and languages. He educated me on many things, including your ancient and worthy culture."  
  


The King bowed in response. "Then I am grieved that a culture that you were raised to respect has treated you so profanely. I can assure you that these boys do not serve as representative of our people. They are young and foolish and seem to have fallen under the sway of negative influences."   
  
The King looked pointedly at an older, sallow faced elf lurking on the outskirts of the group who seemed far too pleased with the goings on. "Please accept my deepest apologies as well as my personal guarantee that you will be troubled no further as you travel through my realm."  
  
Draco glared at the King. "Apologies and guarantees are all well and good but it doesn't settle the fact that this woman has been assaulted. I need to know that there will be a reckoning for this insult."   
  
  
Luna whispered, "Let it go, Draco. Please. Let's just leave."  
  
"I can understand your anger, Lord Malfoy," said the King. "I give you my word that these boys will face justice - for not only the attack on this lady but also for bringing shame upon each of their families."  
  
At that point there was a disturbance in the crowd. The sallow faced elf was now standing beside the boy that had been slammed against the tree and another elf that Draco assumed was the boy's father. The trio were speaking excitedly in Elvish and the King was obviously arguing against whatever position they were claiming.   
  
Draco was suspicious of the trio - something about them reminded him far too much of his father and the other Death Eaters when they were trying to stir up mischief. He glanced at Luna who translated, "The injured boy's father is apparently trying to invoke some ancient bylaw. Something about how your attack on his son could only be justified if we were a 'bonded pair'. The King is saying those rules are part of the Old Ways which have not been observed for centuries and wouldn't apply to outsiders regardless. The father is arguing that he has the right to seek retribution against you and if the King won't defend the ways of the elves then perhaps they should find someone who will."  
  
Draco could tell by the look on Luna's face that the situation had the potential to turn against them very quickly. He whispered, "We are both wearing rings. Could we transfigure them to match and claim those as a sign that we are bonded?"  
  


"No," Luna said. "But I think I know something that will." She gave him a pleading expression. "Play along and....please...Don't be too angry, okay?"   
  
Before he could respond Luna called out, "Your Majesty, if I may? Had I been given the opportunity, I would have gladly shown these boys proof that I am, indeed, bound to someone." As she spoke she pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, with only Draco noticing that she was casting a wandless spell as she did so. His stomach turned and it took everything he had to keep his face neutral as he realized what she was doing.

  
Emblazoned on Luna's right forearm was now a Dark Mark identical to his own. It was even faded in the exact manner of the one he bore, although he couldn't fathom how she got the details so precise since he could only think of a couple of times when she might have briefly caught sight of it during their journey.   
  
The King looked at Draco and asked, "And you possess a similar mark, Lord Malfoy?"  
  
Not trusting his voice, Draco simply nodded as he rolled up his sleeve in confirmation.  
  
  
"Then not only are you free from blame in regards to this boy's injuries, you yourself have every right to exact your own retribution upon any or all of the perpetrators. At least," the King said with a hard stare at the instigating elf, "that is according to the _Old Ways_."  
  
Draco's eyes narrowed and he motioned for the ringleader to step forward which caused a stir amongst the elves. The King held up his hand and silence immediately fell over the crowd. Draco gripped his wand but before he could strike, Luna placed her hand on his arm and lowered it. She whispered something to him. He hesitated then nodded before turning to the King and saying, "The lady would have the boy kneel."  
  
The King translated and the elf stared defiantly before being shoved forward by one of the King's guard. He stepped in front of Draco with a glare and began to drop to his knee when Draco stopped him.   
  
"Not to me. Her." The young elf looked confused. Draco gestured to Luna. "You will kneel before _her_."  
  


The elf let out an angry outburst which, judging by the reaction of the crowd, Draco took to be a litany of words that weren't normally used in polite company. The king himself smacked the boy on the back of his legs, forcing him to his knees.   
  
The monarch snarled, "You _will_ kneel and you _will_ apologize publicly to this good lady for the grave insult and injury you have done to her. Then, perhaps, this noble Lord may allow you to live."  
  


With a sneer the elf began to speak in a forced, halfhearted manner. Draco could tell from the King's expression that the young man was saying something rude about Luna which sent his blood boiling. He raised his wand once more but Luna stepped between them.  
  
"No, Draco. Please. Allow me." She turned to the kneeling elf, placed her hand gently on his head and proclaimed something in Elvish which caused those assembled to murmur in amazement. Sensing Draco's confusion she switched to English. "I said that I absolve this elf of any and all wrong doing in connection to me. He has my full and complete pardon."   
  
Draco began to strenuously object but Luna continued, fixing her gaze instead upon the elf king. "All I ask in return, mighty King, is that you let it be known throughout your realm that this one walks free due to the mercy of a woman."

  
Hearing those words the young elf began protesting vehemently, but before he could do anything more, Luna produced a butter beer cork necklace from her pocket and slipped it over his neck. Draco noticed her softly murmur an incantation before announcing, "This talisman shall serve as a symbol of this forgiveness. It will remain around his neck as a reminder of the compassion he has been shown in the hopes he will reflect it to others in the future."

  
Draco had to work at concealing a smirk as he watched the young elf unsuccessfully try and rip the necklace off. Luna had somehow modified a sticking charm so that while the item would move freely about the elf's neck it could not be removed from it. The elf eventually gave up, hanging his head and slinking back into the crowd.   
  


The King appeared quite pleased by this turn of events. He turned to Draco and asked, "Lord Malfoy? Is the situation settled to your satisfaction?"  
  
Draco wanted to answer honestly and say that what he really wanted was to Avada the whole lot of them but one look at Luna's face told him that would be unwise. Instead he scowled and said, "The boys took the lady's wand. Give back what is rightfully hers and allow us to leave in peace. Then we shall consider the _situation_ to be resolved."  
  


Luna's wand was promptly returned and after another stream of profuse apologies, they were on their way. They walked in an uneasy silence for quite some time before Luna spoke again.

  
"I'm terribly sorry Draco. I didn't mean to end up in that predicament. I just..."   
  


"Just didn't bloody think, did you?!" Draco barked, wheeling around on her. "Went wandering off after some creature, without stopping to consider that something might be out there wanting to hurt you? Why the hell should that occur to you? Only tussled with a dragon and got attacked by poachers or have you also forgotten almost _dying_ a couple of times recently?"   
  
The force of Draco's outburst caused Luna take a step back.   
  
"And then you pull this nonsense?!" He grabbed her arm and shoved up her sleeve, revealing the mark still emblazoned there.   
  


"I had to do something or they would have hurt you. They wouldn't accept..."  
  


"Get rid of the damn thing. Now!" He pushed her away as if she were infected with the pox.  
  


Luna met his gaze for the first time since they'd left the glen and the sight of her bruised face and bloody lip made him cringe. With a wave of her hand she undid the glamour and the mark disappeared. "There. Happy now?" she asked softly.  
  


Her vacant expression and flat tone caused a stab in Draco's chest. He lowered his voice and gestured towards a tree stump beside her. "No. Sit down." She continued to stand until he added, "Please?"  
  


She hesitated then lowered herself onto the stump and stared into the distance as Draco knelt in front of her. When he went to move the hair from her face she flinched at movement so near to her injuries. He fought to mask the tremor in his hand as he tucked the blond tresses behind her ears. He gently inspected the cuts and bruises before producing his wand.   
  
"May I?" he asked.  
  


Her lip quivered slightly as she closed her eyes and nodded. Draco quickly and efficiently cast a series of healing charms then conjured a small hand mirror so she could inspect his work.   
  
"Acceptable?"  
  


Luna briefly regarded her reflection. "Yes." She dropped the mirror into her pocket. "Thank you."   
  
They sat without speaking until Luna said, "Once again, I am very sorry to have placed you in that situation, Draco. I realize that by putting myself in danger I not only jeopardized the mission but also your agreement with the Ministry. I promise, I will make every effort to ensure you don't have to put yourself out for me in that fashion in the future."   
  


Draco didn't quite know what to make of her words or the expression on her face. Uncertain about how to reply he said, "And I apologize for speaking so harshly, Luna, but this is the second time recently that I've seen you covered in blood and - damn it all - it scared me both times, okay? I mean the injuries were bad enough but when I saw that mark on your arm..."   
  
He struggled to control his tone. "You need to understand. That damn thing symbolizes everything that I hate about my past and to see it on someone like you..."  
  


"Like me?"  
  


"You know. Someone good."  
  


"I'm not as good as you imagine, Draco."  
  


Draco sat back on his heels and whispered, "Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, you may be the only purely good person I've ever met."  
  


"No one is _purely_ anything, Draco," Luna sighed. "Daddy used to say that within every one of us there are two wolves constantly at battle with one another. One wolf represents the bad things in us and one wolf represents the good. Ultimately only one thing determines which wolf is victorious at the end of each day."  
  


"And that is?"  
  


"Which one we feed the most," said Luna.

  
"How do you do that?" asked Draco.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Feed the wolves."

  
Luna placed her hand on his shoulder. "Fear and anger feed one wolf. Love and compassion feed the other."   
  


Draco looked away to avoid her gaze. "What if one wolf is already dead?"  
  


"The wolves never die, Draco. One may be starved and neglected but it's always there, ready to come back if given enough attention." She turned his face towards her. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that it's never too late to become the person you want to be."  
  


Draco shook his head. "I wouldn't even know how to start."  
  


"You start by making different choices. You start by deciding to do what is right instead of what is easy." She gave him a sad look. "You start by determining what you are really angry about before shouting at someone that truly cares about you." Her hand dropped to her side as she rose and set off in the direction of their camp.   
  


It suddenly occurred to Draco that the look she had just given him was the same expression of sorrow and pity she had given her attacker and Draco didn't like how that made him feel. He didn't like it one bit. For some reason the notion that _he_ had hurt her like the elf had bothered him more than he cared to admit. He cursed under his breath, jumped up and ran after her. He sprinted past and dropped to his knees, blocking the path in front of her.   
  
Luna studied him carefully before asking, "What are you doing, Draco?"  
  


Draco bowed his head. "I am hoping that the kind of witch who could grant mercy to a insolent, impudent wood elf might also find it in her heart to forgive a hopeless, temperamental wizard who is still learning to express himself in a socially acceptable manner."   
  


His eyes remained downcast until he felt her step forward and rest her hand on the side of his face. "Oh, Draco." She lifted his chin. "Stand up."  
  


As he rose to his feet, Luna looked him up and down and said simply, "You're a mess." She pulled her wand out from behind her ear and cast a mending charm to repair his torn clothes. She then gestured towards a small cut over his left eyebrow. "And you're bleeding." Another wave of her wand healed the injury. She retrieved the small mirror from her pocket and held it up to his face. "Better?"  
  


"Much. Thank you," said Draco.  
  


Luna looped her arm through his and began guiding them back to camp. As the tents came into view, she bumped him with her hip and asked, "So, _Lord Malfoy_ , what are you making me for dinner?"  
  


Draco gave an exaggerated bow. "Whatever the lady would like."   
  



	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Later that evening Draco asked about the sticking charm Luna had used on the necklace she placed upon the wood elf. After explaining the mechanics of the spell she asked, "Do you think that was overly harsh? I was hoping it might help him learn some empathy but now I wonder if I went a bit too far...."  
  


"Too far?! Not nearly far enough, in my opinion. Why you prevented me from casting an unforgiveable on the little vermin is beyond my comprehension."  
  


"I couldn't do that. I was in no danger at that point. Forgiveness was the only viable option," said Luna.  
  


"But Luna, he _hurt_ you."  
  


"Oh, Draco. I've been mocked and bullied on a regular basis since I was eleven years old. If I started flinging unforgiveables at every person in my life that hurt me I'd be serving a life sentence in Azkaban."  
  


Draco shook his head in wonder. "How do you do that?"  
  


"Do what?"  
  


"Exercise such self control," said Draco.  
  


Draco was surprised to hear an uncharacteristic quiver in Luna's voice when she answered, "Because I didn't once and it ended very badly."  
  


Without thinking about it, Draco reached out and took her hand. "Luna? You okay?"  
  


"Yes. I just....I haven't let myself think about it in a long time."  
  


"Think about what?"  
  


She bit her lip and stared at the ground. "First off, you need to know that I had an incredibly blessed childhood, Draco. I had two parents that made me feel that, no matter what, I was loved and accepted. After Mum died, Daddy and I were somewhat isolated but Molly Weasley made sure to bring Ginny over on a regular basis so I had a friend to play with. I knew that our family was different from the Weasleys but they never made us feel bad about it. It was just how it was and I naively thought the rest of the world would treat us same way. Then I boarded the train to Hogwarts for the first time."  
  
Draco noticed that her voice became more strained at this point.

  
"I took copies of Daddy's paper to hand out to everyone. I had been taught that was the polite thing to do - sharing with others. However, I was unprepared for the reactions I received. I mean, I knew the Weasleys didn't agree with a lot of Daddy's beliefs but they had always just nodded and smiled." Her chin trembled slightly. "I had never been called the names that I got called that day before. Then some of the older students began practicing hexes on me."   
  
A distant memory of he and his friends mocking a little girl on the train bubbled to the surface and Draco tried desperately to push it back down.  
  


"I eventually found Ginny. She was with her brothers and that caused some of the teasing to die down. No one wanted to openly antagonize the twins, at least, so I figured that was the end of it. I assumed that I would enter the hall, get sorted and then my house would accept me the way that my family and Ginny had." She paused then added, "I was wrong."

  
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.  
  
"I mean that the majority of Ravenclaw house was not thrilled to have 'Loony Lovegood' forced on them. To make matters worse, Daddy had written an unflattering article about the father of one of the Ravenclaw prefects before the start of term. That made the situation more complicated. Even those who hadn't taken an instant dislike to me kept their distance because they didn't want to cross her. I found out later that the girls assigned to room with me were ones that lost a coin toss."

  
"I was used to being alone so I could have dealt with simply being ostracized, you know? But then the bullying started. It was subtle at first so no one could get in trouble. Early on it was just little things - my quills would disappear or my ink jars would be filled with ink that vanished after an hour, so by the time I got back from class my notes would have evaporated. Then it escalated. Papers destroyed and property disappearing. My shoes were taken so often that I simply started going barefoot rather than waste time searching for them."   
  
Draco's heart sank as he recalled teasing young Luna for her lack of footwear, assuming at the time that the girl was either too poor to afford shoes or too feeble minded to remember to wear them.  
  


"Even then I could have managed...until the day they took it a step too far."  
  


"How so?" asked Draco.  
  
Luna began to nervously bounce her foot up and down. "One day in first year Potions I gave the wrong answer to a question. I made the mistake of defending my way of thinking and challenging Professor Snape's methodology so in return Ravenclaw was docked house points. This infuriated the prefect that already disliked me. When I returned to my room that evening my trunk had been broken into and all the pictures of my mother had been ripped to shreds and then, just make sure I couldn't mend them, the remnants had been thrown into the fireplace. I was left with only ashes."  
  


"Those despicable little _.._." Draco growled, choking down the bile rising in his throat. "What did Flitwick do to them?"  
  


"Nothing. I didn't tell."  
  


"Why not?!"  
  


"Because they made it clear that if I spoke out they would ensure I was expelled. They told me that I would be turned into a squib and that the resulting disgrace would devastate my father. I know now that wouldn't have been the case but when you are eleven..." Luna shrugged helplessly.  


"What did you do?"  
  


"The worst thing I could think of. I took all of that pent up pain and rage and ran to the library - straight into the Restricted Section. I'd watched Hermione Granger sneak in there often enough that I knew the way. I grabbed the first grimoire I saw and dashed off."  
  


"Which one did you take?"  
  


She took a deep breath then in a hushed tone confided, "The Necronomicon."  
  


Draco's jaw almost hit the ground. The Necronomicon contained the darkest of magiks and was feared by the most experienced of wizards. Even the likes of Bellatrix would have thought twice about messing around with such a book. "W-what did you plan to do with that?"   
  
  


"I didn't have a plan. I didn't even understand the true nature and power of the book. I was just hurt and angry and wanted to make someone else feel as bad as I did."   
  


Draco nodded. He understood that feeling.   
  
"I climbed to the top of the West Tower and there in the middle of the owlery I opened the book to a random page and tried the first spell I came to. Thankfully I didn't do it properly but I got close enough. A burst of dark energy exploded from my wand and hit one of the owls."  
  


By this point Luna was struggling to speak. "The poor little thing fell to the floor writhing in pain. I got sick to my stomach, thinking that I'd killed one of the only creatures that _hadn't_ hurt me." 

  
She burst into tears and Draco pulled her into his arms, holding her until her breathing began to return to normal. He quietly asked, "Was the owl okay?"  
  


Luna sniffed. "Yes, thankfully. Turns out I'd only stunned it but the thought of what I'd almost done terrified me. I swore an oath to myself that I would _never_ lose control like that ever again. The cost was too high. To this day it still hurts my heart to remember the look on that little owl's face."   
  
She choked back another sob and buried her head in his shoulder. "D-do you think badly of me now?"  
  
"Oh, Luna. I couldn't think badly of you if I tried. And believe me - I've tried," Draco reluctantly admitted as he rested his chin on the top of her head and rubbed her back. "But, hey. Here's an idea. Why don't you extend some of the mercy that you share so freely with others to yourself for a change?"  
  
"But I..."  
  


"But nothing. Cut yourself some slack. You were a hurt, angry child. People were cruel to you and you lashed out. Look at all of the good you have done since that time. Not like me. I was a prat and a bully, I hurt people just because..."  
  


Luna sat back and interrupted him. "Because you were a hurt, angry child. People, most notably your own Father, were cruel to you and you lashed out."  
  
Draco shook his head. "It's not the same thing."  
  
"Why not? How can it be true for one of us and not the other?" asked Luna.  
  
"Because..." Draco was struggling to find a way to dispute her words when a sudden noise in the distance caused them both to jump.   
  
"What the hell was that?" asked Draco.  
  
"It's the elves," said Luna. "It sounds like they're...singing."  
  
"I thought they said they would leave us alone. Why are they coming after us now?"  
  
"I don't know." She listened closely. ""I can't quite make out the words but this definitely isn't an attack. I mean, if they wanted to sneak up on us we would never hear them coming."   
  
"Any idea what they might want?"  
  
"No. Sorry. I understand the language and some of the customs but Elvish society is frightfully complicated," Luna said, a look of concern crossing her face.  
  
Draco tensed up. "What? What is it?"  
  
"Well, since we pretended that I was your bonded consort earlier, I fear that we'll have to maintain the ruse now so we make sure that they don't try and harm you for the incident in the glen."  
  
Draco's shoulders dropped in relief. "Is that all? Merlin's beard, you frightened me there for a minute."  
  
"I don't like to lie if I can help it, Draco. I'm not terribly good at it."  
  
"Then lucky for you that we don't have to. By definition a consort is not only a spouse of a person of nobility. The term can also apply to a close friend or an advisor - a role that you absolutely fulfill." He gave her a wink. "Does that ease your conscience?"  
  
"I suppose. You don't mind the fact that they probably think you meant the other definition?"  
  
"Oh, Luna. I promise you that would be the most pleasant assumption anyone has made about me in a very long time. If you can live with it then I certainly can," Draco said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It sounds like they're almost here. You ready?"  
  
Luna nodded. "Ready."  
  
At that moment the music ceased and a small company of elves consisting of two standard bearers, two armed escorts and what appeared to be a senior official dressed in elaborate robes stepped into the light of their campsite.   
  
The eldest of the group approached them and bowed deeply. Staring at the ground he launched into an obviously well prepared speech in Elvish. Luna greeted the official in his own language and Draco noted how the elf's head popped up and how he gazed intently at her before bustling forward. He took Luna's hand and kissed it while stammering something that made her duck her head slightly and blush.  


For reasons that he couldn't quite put his finger on this annoyed Draco. He cleared his throat and edged closer to Luna, who retrieved her hand and addressed the elf in charge.   
  
"I beg your pardon, your eminence, but Lord Malfoy is not as practiced in your language as I am. Out of respect for him, may I request we please conduct this conversation in English?"  


"Quite! Quite!" The elf bowed deeply towards Draco. "A thousand apologies, Lord Malfoy. My tendency is to conduct court business in High Elvish. I meant no disrespect to you."   
  


Many years of being dragged to formal Ministry events by his parents kicked in as Draco gave a formal bow in return. "No disrespect taken. I apologize for not being more thoroughly educated in your language and culture. Please, before we continue, how shall I address you?"  
  


The official appeared most pleased at Draco's inquiry. "Of course. Of course. Quite right. Introductions first. As I was just beginning to explain to this most excellent lady, my name is Praeco and I am the special envoy of King Aldaron."  
  


"Greetings, Praeco. Luna referred to you as 'your eminence'. Is this your preferred title?"  
  


"No, Lord Malfoy. The good lady was being far too generous in her assessment of my position. Envoy Praeco is more than sufficient for an elf of my station."  
  


"Very well, Envoy Praeco. To what do we owe the honor of your visit with us this evening?"  
  


Luna placed her hand lightly on Draco's arm. "It seems, _my lord_ , that we are being granted a most unusual distinction."  
  


"More than unusual, my lady. Unprecedented! Absolutely unprecedented!" The envoy waved his hands excitedly as he spoke.  
  


Draco tried to contain a bemused smile. "Please, _my lady_ , enlighten me and leave me in suspense no longer."  
  


The envoy jumped in before Luna could respond. "King Aldaron and His wife, Queen Astalda have requested a personal audience with you."  
  


"We are indeed flattered by such an invitation," said Draco. "Please allow us the time to change into attire more befitting of such an request and we will gladly follow you to your..."  
  


The envoy flapped his hands even more furiously and for a moment Draco thought the man might actually achieve flight. "No! I'm sorry but I must not have translated the message correctly. THEY are coming to you! They are less than a half a league behind us and will be here very soon."  
  


Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "This is most..unexpected, Envoy Praeco. Please excuse us for a moment while we make ourselves presentable enough to receive such esteemed visitors."  
  
He took Luna's arm and swiftly guided her into his tent. Once they were alone he whispered, "You're the expert on elves. How do we play this?"  
  
  
"If you can buy me a little time then I can attempt some transfiguration work in here to make it as suitable as I can to entertain royalty."  
  
"Good. Sounds like a plan. In the meantime, what do I wear? Dress robes weren't on the list of things I opted to pack for this journey."  
  
Luna pulled her wand from her pocket. "Would you like me to try and whip up something appropriate?"  
  
Draco stepped back, eyes closed and arms extended to his sides. "Please. Fire away."  
  
With a deft and decisive flick of her wand, Luna skillfully transfigured Draco's everyday hiking clothes into a smart set of dress robes. He looked in the mirror, admiring the elegant fabric and stylish cut she had produced. "Well done, Luna! This would put even the finest offerings of Twilfitt and Tattings to shame!"  
  
"I'm glad you approve. That is high praise indeed, coming from someone with your taste in fashion," Luna smiled. "Now get out there and stall long enough for me to get this place sorted, okay?"  
  
Draco popped back outside to rejoin the waiting elves. "My apologies for the wait, Envoy Praeco. I hope that you feel this is suitable apparel for greeting the royal family?"  
  
"Most suitable indeed, Lord Malfoy! The tailoring and material are exquisite." The envoy scanned the garments with an appreciative eye. An intricate silver fastener on Draco's cloak, fashioned in the shape of a dragon caught, the elf's attention. "That clasp is of particularly fine workmanship! Is it a family heirloom?"  
  
For the first time Draco noticed the piece that Luna had conjured and he had to think on his feet. "No...it was a gift...from Luna. It signifies my name." Seeing the elf's confusion Draco clarified, "My given name is Draco which in our language translates as 'dragon'."  
  


This information seemed to create something of a stir amongst the company but before Draco could determine the reason a great fanfare sounded nearby. The assembled elves dropped to their knees and bowed their heads as the King and Queen enter the clearing accompanied by a retinue of attendants and guards. The group made its way towards Draco, who knelt and bowed his head before addressing the King.   
  
"Your majesty. Please allow me to begin by offering my sincerest apologies for my lack of deference and regard for royal protocol during our initial meeting. I hope you can find it in your heart to pardon the offense. I meant no disrespect to you or your kingdom."  
  
  
"Rise, Lord Malfoy," said the King. "I assure you no apologies are necessary. If the situation had been reversed and it were _my_ lady that had been injured, I can assure you that I would have been far less civil than you were." The King gestured towards the stunning, dark haired woman beside him. "May I present my wife, the Queen, Lady Astalda."  
  


Draco bowed again to the tall, slender figure standing next to the King. "Your majesty. You both honor us with your presence." He heard a rustling behind him and noticed that all eyes were now looking over his shoulder. He started to turn while saying, "And please allow me to introduce...."  
  
He stopped short as he caught sight of the vision gliding towards them. Luna was now wearing a stunning midnight blue robe which hung open to reveal a form fitting, full length shift of shimmering soft grey fabric underneath. Her hair, usually worn in a ponytail or messy bun, now hung in soft, loose curls which cascaded to the middle of her back, held off her face by a delicate silver headband. Draco couldn't help but notice how the blue bell flames burning behind her shimmered through her pale hair, giving the appearance that she was enveloped in a halo of light.  
  
"Luna?" Draco gave his head a quick shake and reminded himself to breath. "I mean the Lady..." He quickly tried to come up with an appropriate title.  
  
Luna spared him the effort by stepping in front of him and dropping into a deep curtsey before the royal couple. "Please, your majesties, I prefer just Luna if it is all the same to you. We are humbled that you have graced us with your company. "  
  
The queen reached out and lifted Luna's chin with her delicate hand. "The pleasure is ours, Lady Luna. I have heard much about you although I must say - my husband, the King, definitely forgot to list your beauty among the many accolades he bestowed upon you."  
  


"In my defense, Astalda, the young lady looked...different when I made her acquaintance earlier today." Draco could tell the man was as smitten as everyone else. "May I say that you have recovered from your wounds with astonishing speed, my lady."

  
Luna moved next to Draco and rested her hand on his arm. "Lord Malfoy is a very powerful wizard whose vast skills include being quite proficient at healing charms."  
  
"It would seem so," said the King. Before he could continue, Praeco scurried forward and whispered something in the King's ear. The King nodded briefly then turned his attention back to Draco and Luna.  
  
"We see that you wear a dragon emblem and Praeco tells me that you, Lord Malfoy, are actually named for the animal. Is this correct?"  
  
  
"Yes, your majesty. My given name, Draco, does indeed translate as 'dragon' in our language."  
  
"Would you say that you have a special relationship with the creatures?" asked the Queen.  
  
"Actually Luna is the one that has a unique rapport with them," said Draco. "Amongst her many remarkable talents is the ability to communicate with a great number of beasts - including dragons."   
  
The royal couple shared a look that Draco was unable to interpret then the King asked, "Would you happen to know anything about a dragon that was recently freed from a poacher's snare not many leagues from here?"  
  
Draco' s shoulders tensed slightly as he tried to determine which direction the conversation was heading. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"We heard this same dragon was responsible for the death of the poachers which had ensnared it."  
  
"We released that dragon because it was hurt and in pain. Some time later we were captured by a group of poachers. They were preparing to kill us when Ell...the dragon in question saw Luna in peril and rescued us. Unfortunately none of the poachers survived," Draco said, slipping his arm protectively around Luna's waist. "If we have broken any laws it was purely unintentional and I alone accept the full weight of any repercussions."  
  
"Draco, no. I'd be just as responsible as you are, " objected Luna.  
  
The King held up a hand. "Please. If there are amends to be made in this situation they should come from us. It would seem that we have much to atone for when it comes to you." He then asked in a low voice, "Is there somewhere we could speak in private, Lord Malfoy?"  
  
Draco gestured towards his tent and followed the royal couple inside, sparing a moment to marvel at Luna's handiwork as he entered.  
  
In the short time she'd been given Luna had managed to utterly transform the space. Lush tapestries lined the walls while fairy lights and candles floated about, bathing everything in a warm and inviting glow. In the middle of the room sat a round table laden with fresh fruit and a bottle of sweet wine. Around the table sat four elegantly carved wooden chairs - two significantly larger and obviously meant for royalty and two fashioned in a less ornate style for Draco and Luna.  
  
As he pulled out Luna's chair for her, Draco whispered, "Show off" in her ear before giving a wink and settling in the spot next to her.  
  
After a brief exchange of pleasantries regarding the furnishings and the quality of the food and drink the King got down to business.  
  
  
"Sadly, you have arrived in our land during troubled times." The King shook his head. "The recent rise in poaching, particularly of dragons, has caused a great mistrust of outsiders within my kingdom. In an attempt to gain power, there are some who seek to use those sentiments in order to convince the elves to revert to older, less enlightened ways. They would have us go backwards so a few could dominate the many. Unfortunately, even members of my own family have succumbed to these ramblings."  
  
"Like your son," said Luna.   
  
Both the King and Queen bowed their heads yet it still took a moment for the full implication of what Luna was saying to dawn on Draco.  
  
"Wait. The boy who assaulted you today - was their son?" asked Draco slowly.  
  
"I was grief stricken to hear of the prince's actions," said the Queen. "Please believe me when I say that this was most definitely _not_ how our son was raised to behave."  
  
The King nodded. "I did not realize that you had determined his identity. I see now why you were willing to extend such leniency."  
  
Draco bristled at this perceived slight to Luna's character. He leaned forward, tightly gripping the arms of his chair. "Your majesty, I can assure you that Luna would have acted in _precisely_ the same manner regardless of the boy's bloodline. I can personally attest that this woman possesses a staggering capacity to grant mercy and forgiveness - no matter how unworthy the recipient."  
  
"I meant no disrespect to the lady, Lord Malfoy," assured the King. "Regardless of her motives, it is actually because of you that we may very well be able to suppress this conflict before it grows any stronger."  
  
"I don't understand," said Luna.  
  
The Queen spoke up, "You see, one of the main contentions of the Trasthael - the trouble makers - has been how little the outside world thought of the forest folk. They argue that we need to isolate ourselves because no one else cares what happens here. Then word reached us of two outsiders that not only rescued an ensnared dragon but actually helped rid us of a most vicious band of poachers, placing their own lives at stake in the process. Then today's...incident occurred and you granted such mercy towards your attackers. This showed our people that there are still those in the outside world with kind hearts that care about those who live in the forest."  
  
The King nodded in agreement. "Whether you realize it or not, your actions have done much to propel us in the right direction. Which causes us even greater sorrow over the fact that it seems that we inadvertently brought about today's situation. If we had simply asked the bowtruckles to contact you directly instead of instructing them to only observe you from a distance then perhaps all of this unpleasantness might have been avoided."   
  
"So that's why they wouldn't speak to me," said Luna. "I was afraid I had offended them in some way, even though we had taken special care not to harm any trees. I even offered them some wood lice but they still tried to hide from me."   
  
"You are familiar with the ways of bowtruckles, my lady?" asked the King. "Was this another lesson from the father who taught you Elvish?"  
  
"It was actually my mother who taught me about bowtruckles, your majesty. Unfortunately, she passed away and made the journey to the Undying Lands before I had the opportunity to see one in person. It was my late husband who ultimately introduced me to the delightful creatures. His family were great students of the natural world and his grandfather had a particular fondness for the bowtruckle. I believe he traveled quite extensively in this part of the world many years ago. Perhaps you met him?"

The king's eyes lit up. "I do recall a delightful little Englishman who was quite fond of wearing scarves. Um.... Salamander?"  
  


Luna smiled. "Very close, your majesty. His name was Scamander. Newt Scamander."  
  


"Yes, yes! Of course! A lovely fellow. You were wed to his grandson?"  
  


"Yes, sire. His name was Rolf."  
  


"And now he also resides in The Undying Lands?"  
  


"He does, sire. As a matter of fact, he made the journey exactly one year ago today."  
  
This news saddened Draco and made him feel even worse about the sharp words he had spoken to her earlier. He reached for Luna's hand and fought an unexpected urge wrap his arms around her.  
  


"My deepest condolences, my lady" said the King. "Is that when you came under the care of Lord Malfoy?"  
  


"I believe you misunderstand our relationship, your Majesty. Strictly speaking, I am not under Lord Malfoy's care." Draco had to mask his surprise when she intertwined their fingers and squeezed. "We care for each other."  
  


Draco smiled at her and tried to ignore the slight quiver in his stomach when she smiled back.  
  


"A most important distinction as well as an ideal situation," said the Queen.  
  


"Indeed," The King said. "Well, then. Enough of the past. Please, tell us what brings you to our kingdom and if there is any way we can assist in your diplomatic mission."  
  


"Our world has also faced troubles, your majesty," said Luna. "Much like in your realm, a man obsessed with power and the old ways tried to take control and force his will upon others. Because of this, three years ago a terrible war was fought which cost the lives of both of our fathers. Our people were just beginning to truly heal from that conflict when an outbreak of a rare and deadly form of dragon pox surfaced. It was sporadic at first but it has now increased to the point of plague."

  
"All attempts to develop a treatment have thus far proven unsuccessful," added Draco. "Luna and I have been tasked with finding an ancient scroll once owned by a man named Pertento. It reportedly contains a cure for the disease which threatens our people. Any assistance you can give us would certainly be most appreciated."   
  
"I wish there was something we could do to help. I vaguely recall a legend describing a scroll like the one you mention but if I remember correctly it lies well outside of our lands," said the King. "I am afraid the best I can do is assure you of safe passage while you are inside my kingdom."  
  
"I recall my father saying how seriously boundaries are considered in your world, your majesty," said Luna. "Your offer is generous and we are most grateful that you are willing to grant protection to outsiders."  
  
"After all you have endured, my lady, it is the least we can do," said the Queen. "And while I cannot help with your search directly, perhaps I can add something to my husband's pledge."   
  
She reached into a small velvet bag which hung from her waist and pulled out two small brooches fashioned from silver and twisted into an intricate circular pattern. "Keep these with you. They bear the mark of my family. They will serve as proof to any bowtruckles you encounter that you come in peace and that they should assist you in any way possible."  
  


"Your majesties are most kind," said Draco. "We are humbled by your benevolence."  
  
"We could say the same about you and your good lady, Lord Malfoy," said the King.  
  
The group talked a bit longer then shared a toast before the royal couple stood to leave. As they stepped out of the tent the Queen inquired about the blue bell flames and Luna proceeded to demonstrate how she conjured the magical lights, to the amazement and delight of all present.  
  


As they watched from a distance, the King said to Draco, "Beautiful, talented, compassionate _and_ wise? Tell me, Lord Malfoy, are there more like her where you come from?"  
  


Draco squared his shoulders and looked the King directly in the eye. "There are none like her _anywhere_ , Your Majesty."  
  


With a knowing bow the King replied simply, "Indeed," before the elves took their leave.  
  



	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

  
As the company retreated into the darkness, Luna exhaled sharply, "Did I do okay?"  
  
"Okay? You were brilliant! Look at all this!" exclaimed Draco, pulling her back into the tent and gesturing around the room. "It's a pity that you didn't test in Transfiguration when you left school. You'd have aced that as well."

  
"I'm glad it met with your approval. It's been a long time since I did any work like this. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it." Luna stood in front of one of the tapestries and tried to smile but Draco detected a trace of sadness lurking behind her eyes.  
  
He placed his arm gently around her shoulders. "I am sorry. I didn't realize today was the day you lost your husband."   
  
"You'd have no reason to know that, Draco, but...thank you."  
  
"Listen, I'm no expert on dealing with grief and certainly not in helping others to do so but a very wise person once told me that sometimes talking about things can help. If that's the case then I'd be willing to listen - if you'd like."   
  
"Actually," said Luna, twisting a piece of hair around her finger, " I-I think that I would like to talk about Rolf for a little bit. If you don't mind, that is."  
  
"I don't mind at all." Draco led her to the table where they both took a seat. "However, I think a visual might help. Do you have any pictures of him?"   
  
With a flick of her wrist Luna summoned a small silver frame. The photo inside showed Luna, a handsome man with dark, curly hair and an kind looking elderly gentleman gathered around a birthday cake with one large candle in the middle. The older man blew out the candle as the young couple beside him cheered enthusiastically then all three looked at the photographer and smiled.  
  
  
"Well, I know who you are and I'm guessing the good looking bloke on the right is Rolf. Who else do we have here?" asked Draco.  
  
"That was Rolf's grandfather on the occasion of his 101st birthday. That's why there was only one candle. He insisted at that point a person got to start over in regards to the candle count on the cake."  
  
"This is the legendary Newt Scamander? Author of _Fantastic Beasts_? You two must have gotten on like a house on fire."  
  
"We did. Rolf used to tease that I only married him so I could spend time with his grandfather." Luna ran a finger lightly along the edge of the frame. "Newt died a few months after this. While I missed him terribly, later on I was glad that he passed before Rolf did. He loved his grandson so much, I don't think he could have taken outliving him."  
  
Draco leaned in for a closer look. "I gather from the colors on Rolf's tie that he was a Hufflepuff?"  
  


"Fourth Generation. He was very proud of that."  
  


"I don't remember him when we were at school," said Draco.  
  


"He had already graduated when you got to Hogwarts. He was nine years older than me, so eight years older than you," said Luna.  
  


"Where did you two meet? I wouldn't have thought your families ran in the same social...I mean his family...I mean..."   
  


"You mean, how did someone like me snag someone like him?"  
  


Draco stammered, "N-no. I didn't mean..."  
  


"Don't worry, Draco. Every tabloid and magazine asked the same question." Luna patted his hand and smiled. "I thought the names I got called at school were harsh. Our classmates had nothing on the Wizarding press. 'Gold-digger' was one of the kinder titles I was branded with. I lost count of how many articles Rita Skeeter wrote insinuating that I had bewitched Rolf with illegal love potions."

  
"Stuff and nonsense! You wouldn't have needed a sodding potion," Draco huffed. "And for the record I think he was damn lucky to 'snag' you instead of the other way around."  
  


"Thank you, Draco. That's very kind," Luna blushed. "As to how we met - I was working at a research facility in Norway after the war. The evening Rolf arrived he decided that he wanted to get a closer look at the Selmas by going for a swim with them."  
  
  


"The what?"

"Selmas. A race of giant sea serpents native to the coastal region of Norway. They live in icy waters and their diet consists of fish and human flesh."

"And he determined that going for a _swim_ would be the best way to make first contact with a flesh eating sea serpent?" Draco struggled to avoid sounding as if he was speaking ill of the dead but the look on Luna's face told him he was not alone in his assessment of the situation.

"Exactly! That was my reaction as well," Luna laughed and shook her head at the memory.   
  
"When they carried him back to camp afterwards, I ended up being the one to treat his wounds and repair his clothes. I informed him that he had chosen the wrong time of day for a swim as Selmas are nocturnal. If he had waited until early morning they would have been drowsy which would have made them easier to observe. I also pointed out that if he had released a school of flobberworms beforehand for them to snack on the resulting thickening of their blood would have made them even more docile. Dipping himself in stinksap would have made him smell rancid and further discouraged them from attacking him."   
  
"And how did he respond to that?"  
  
"Apparently he owled his grandfather an hour later to say that he had just met the girl he was going to marry."  
  


"No wonder I'm still single," grumbled Draco. "Seems I've been going about it all wrong. Here I was wasting my time asking women to dinner and giving them chocolates."

"Funny you should say that. Rolf showed up at my tent the next morning with a ring and tried to get me to elope. I told him that I wouldn't marry any man that didn't have the decency to take me out to dinner first."

"Good to know I was on the right track," said Draco. "I am assuming he came through with the dinner?"

"Lunch, technically. He found out that I liked waterfalls so he took me on a picnic to Husedalen Valley. It's the highest mountain plateau in Norway."

"And it has a waterfall?"

"Four of them," said Luna.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes, "Show off."

Luna smiled, "A bit." 

"Seriously though, it sounds lovely."

  
"It was. We ate and talked for hours. Before we knew it the sun was coming up. Five days later we got married at the research camp. The rest...." She shrugged and gazed at the picture.

Draco struggled to find a way to ask his next question. "You said he was older than us. What was his involvement in the war?"  
  
"He wasn't. Not directly, I mean. When Voldemort returned, Rolf was on an extended expedition in a remote part of Asia so their news was delayed by weeks or even months. He arrived at the dragon preserve in Romania just as Charlie was leaving to bring reinforcements for the final battle. Rolf stayed behind to help guard the camp but he didn't truly comprehend the extent of what was going at home until after it was all over."   
  
Luna glanced at her ring. "That became the one issue in our relationship. Rolf carried a great deal of shame and regret about his lack of participation. It bothered him that he couldn't really understand some of the things I tried to tell him about what happened to me during the war so it just became easier to avoid the topic."  
  


"Must have been difficult - not talking about a part of your life that affected you so deeply," said Draco.  
  
"It was. As much as I try not to dwell on the past, it still helps when someone truly understands what you've been through. I'm not complaining, mind you. I mean, I had Ginny and Harry and Nev but it's not the same - especially in the middle of the night when, well....you know."  
  
"Yeah. I know," Draco whispered.

  
Luna looked at him earnestly. "Please. Don't get me wrong. For the most part Rolf and I were very happy. He was a good man."  
  
"He must have been. You loved him." Draco placed his hand on hers and they both stared at the picture for a moment before he asked, "Luna, how long had you been married when Rolf died?"

"Ten months, one week and three days," Luna said.

Something about the specificity of that answer broke Draco's heart. He squeezed her fingers and said, "I am so, so sorry, Luna." 

"Thank you. I keep trying to remember what Daddy used to say - 'Don't get so caught up in your past that you miss your future.' But sometimes - like today - it can be hard."  
  
Draco sat and listened for almost another hour as Luna shared more memories of Rolf and his family until she stretched and stifled a yawn.  
  
"My goodness! I'm sorry, Draco. I can't image what time it is. I didn't mean to keep you up all night with my ramblings."  
  
"No apologies necessary. It was my pleasure. Honestly."  
  
Luna began to rise from the table and was surprised when Draco kept hold of her hand.  
  
"Luna...would you stay here tonight?" Realizing how that might sound, he released her hand and quickly added, "The same arrangement as before, I mean. It's just - well - even with a royal assurance of protection, after the events of today, I would sleep sounder being certain of your safety and whereabouts. If you found such an arrangement suitable, of course."

  
"Well... if it will help you sleep better then I suppose I can stay for one night. It's the least I can do for causing you such trouble today," said Luna.  
  
He summoned the beds into the same configuration as the last time and when Luna reach for her wand to take down the furnishings she had conjured, he stopped her. "Please. Leave everything up for tonight. You did such a wonderful job. It would be a shame to undo it just yet."   
  
Luna gave a playful bow. "Very well. Since these are your quarters, _Lord Malfoy_ , I shall leave them however you wish."   
  
They settled into their respective beds but before Draco dimmed the lights he asked, "Luna? I hate to bring it up but it's been bothering me all evening. Didn't anyone ever make your housemates pay for what they did to you at school?"  
  


Luna fluffed the pillows and adjusted her blankets. "I wouldn't say that. When Cho Chang heard about what happened with Mum's photos she felt bad about it, so she tipped off Ginny Weasley who got Fred and George involved. I don't know exactly what was said but from that point on the brunt of the direct bullying from my housemates ceased and I was mainly just ignored. Still couldn't find my shoes most of the time but the worst of it was over - at least until Umbridge arrived but by that time I had made friends with Harry and the others so that made things a bit easier."  
 **  
**Draco dropped the subject but made a mental note to try and ascertain the identities of the Ravenclaws in question once they returned home.  
  
He drifted off and soon found himself drawn into another dream about her, except this one wasn't romantic. This one was terrifying.   
  
It started as a simple replay of that day's events but this time darkness fell before Draco noticed Luna's absence and by the time he decided to look for her it was too late. She staggered back into the campsite, bloodied and bruised almost beyond recognition. She collapsed in his arms and managed to choke out his name before her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped lifeless to the ground.  
  


He sat up with a sharp cry, pulse pounding, heart racing and immensely relieved that he had remembered to cast a silencing spell around his bed before falling asleep. He struggled to regain his composure as he propped himself up on one elbow and raised the lights just enough that he could peer anxiously around the room.  
  
He leaned back and breathed easier when he saw Luna close by, sleeping safe and sound. For his own peace of mind he snuck outside and cast a couple of extra protective wards around the campsite before slipping back into bed. It took some time but he eventually managed to go back to sleep, where further dreams mercifully eluded him for the remainder of the night.  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13  
  
** When he awoke the next morning, Luna, her bed and all of the furnishings she had conjured were gone from his tent. When questioned over breakfast she simply answered, "All dreams have to end sometime, I suppose."  
  


They resumed their journey and as the days went by Draco began secretly studying Luna as they traveled and translated runes and worked to improve their wandless magic. As time passed Draco learned more and more about her and what he learned slowly began to captivate him. 

  
What surprised him most was how the feelings crept up on him. It started with him simply noticing little things like how the sunlight hit her hair in the afternoon, the tunes that she hummed when she was happy or the sparkle in her eyes when she saw a creature that delighted her.   
  
Then it was her smile. One day when she smiled at him he felt his heart flutter slightly. He began looking for ways to make her smile, just so he could experience that sensation again. Soon after he found himself watching her delicate fingers fidgeting with a stray thread on her jumper as she read or staring at the spot where her ear lobe met her jawline, wondering what it would feel like to press his lips against it.   
  
Soon Draco found himself wondering how he and almost everyone else - with the exception of Rolf and the elves - had missed what now seemed to him so blatantly obvious. When they started out he had only seen 'Looney Lovegood' - the odd, awkward girl from school but now whenever he looked at her he saw Luna - quite possibly the most extraordinary and beautiful witch he had ever met.

  
Once the truth of this sank in, it triggered another realization - that these observations would need to stay locked deep inside of him. In his mind, the harsh truth was that she was a war hero and the widow of a man widely considered a saint while Draco was a pariah - a former death eater with a record that included treason and attempted murder. There could be no future between them once they returned home, he reasoned, so he decided to content himself with enjoying her company during the time available to him.

  
xoxox

  
One morning as they were setting out, Luna stopped and asked, "Draco? What happened to your hair?"  
  
Draco's ears turned slightly red. "I tried to give myself a haircut last night before bed. Had a little trouble with the back."

  
Luna giggled, "Why would you do that? Are you worried that the paparazzi is going to get an unflattering shot of you trekking through the forest?"

  
Draco rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "I don't like it when it gets too long. I think I look too much like my father when it does."

  
Luna's expression softened. "Oh. I see." She conjured a small canvas camp chair and gestured towards it. "Sit."  
  
Draco looked confused but obediently did as he was told. Luna summoned a pair of scissors and without saying a word began to straighten the back of his hair.   
  
Draco tried desperately to think about something other than the sensation of Luna's fingers running through his hair and along his scalp, fearful that it would lead to visions of her hands in other places doing other things.   
  
"I like it much better this way, you know," Luna said.  
  
"Hmm...What? Sorry. What were you saying?"   
  
"Your hair. I like it better now. You often wore it slicked back when we were at school. Not that it looked bad when you did that, mind you. I just find this way more becoming on you."   
  
"Oh. Well. T-thank you," stammered Draco.  
  
A few snips later Luna proclaimed, "There! All finished." She conjured a mirror to let him inspect the results. "So? What do you think?"  
  
"I think you can add hair dressing to the list of professions you could take up if you wanted," admitted Draco. "When did you develop this skill?"  
  


"Daddy had some rather peculiar ideas regarding barbers so I started cutting his hair after Mum died. Near the end of the war, I ended up being called upon to do the same for most of the boys when we were hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Once I started to travel I would often be the only female in the Research Camps so the guys would ask for help getting cleaned up before going into town to find dates among the local girls."  
  
Draco once again wondered at the number of men - himself included - that had overlooked Luna in the past. That night as he was falling asleep he recalled the feeling of her hands running through his hair as he wrestled with the conflict growing inside him - the tension between yearning to feel her touch and the fear that one day he would forget himself and make a move on her - an action that he was certain would be unwelcome from the likes of him.

  
This inner battle was intensified by the dreams about Luna which now occurred almost nightly. Some were sweet and romantic, some were explicit and erotic and some (in which he imagined her being injured or worse) were terrifying but all produced the same basic rush of adrenaline and emotion which lead him to one inescapable conclusion - he had developed an intense and undeniable attraction to Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood.   
  


He tried to convince himself that this was due solely to the fact that he had been without female companionship for an extended period of time and now found himself in an intense situation with an attractive witch but something inside told him there was more to it than that.  
  


Thankfully, Draco had the benefit of advanced training in hiding his emotions so on the whole, he was successful in disguising how he felt - until the day he literally stumbled upon a force beyond his control.  
  


They'd been walking for a few hours when Luna stopped to examine a rather unusual looking tree. When she turned around she noticed that Draco had started ambling across an open field in the wrong direction. She called his name and when he looked back at her there was a blank, placid expression on his face.   
  
"Sorry. Are you talking to me?" asked Draco.  
  
"Of course I am, silly," said Luna. "Who else would I be talking to?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Do I know you?"  
  


Luna glanced down then jumped backwards. "Oh, bollocks. Wander weed," she said. She dropped her pack and whipped off her jacket, neatly turning it inside out before donning it again. "I should have been on the lookout for this."  
  


She hurried over to Draco who was staring serenely at her. "Draco? Do you know who I am?"  
  


He leaned in close and smiled warmly. "No. I'd like to though. You're very pretty."  
  


"Oh. Okay. Wow. This must be an incredibly vigorous sub species." Luna blushed furiously then asked, "Do you know who _you_ are?"  
  


"Of course I know who I am. You just said it. My name is....." He squinted in thought. "Hmm...Seems to have escaped me at the moment." He shrugged and knelt down to inspect a flower that had suddenly grabbed his attention. "Oh, well. I'm sure it will come back to me eventually."  
  


Luna took his hand and pulled him back up. "Your name is Draco Malfoy. You and I are out here looking for Pertento's scroll. To stop the pox. Do you remember that?"  
  


" You and I? Together? No. That can't be right. I would recall travelling with a beautiful woman." He paused then shook his head. "At least, I think I would. Everything seems a bit...foggy just now."  
  


"That's because you accidentally stepped in a field of wander weed," Luna explained.  
  


"What?"  
  


"Wander weed. It's a magical plant that causes anyone that walks in it to forget who they are, where they are going and why they were trying to get there. The strength and grouping of this particular variety indicates that it was planted on purpose which probably means we are getting close to our destination. It would serve as a terribly effective deterrent to anyone looking for the scroll."  
  
Draco gave her a vague look. "Huh?"  
  


Luna sighed and pointed to the ground, "Short version - The grass makes you forget things."  
  


"Then how come you know what's going on?"  
  


"Because it's actually very easy to counteract the effects of wander weed as long as you are aware of the plant's presence before you step on it. You simply turn at least one piece of clothing inside out."  
  


"Really? That seems...random," mused Draco.  
  


"You're right. It is," Luna said. "Funny story about that. The preventative was discovered accidentally by a rather absent minded wizard named Tovenaar who often dressed in a rather haphazard manner. Went out one day with both socks and his pants on inside out and was the only member of his party not to succumb to the effects of the plant. Wrote a rather interesting essay on the subject in 1328. Neville loaned it to me once."  
  


"Huh?"  
  


Luna sighed again. "Short version? Take off your shirt and turn it inside out."  
  


Draco's eyes lit up. "My, my. _This_ is a most promising turn of events. An attractive woman asking me to undress in a secluded forest? I hope I don't forget this as well."  
  


"You will.," Luna said. "Forget that is. You'll have no memory of anything that happened after you stepped into the field."  
  


"Pity." Draco tipped his head. "Will you?"  
  


"Will I what?"  
  


"Remember any of this."  
  


"Yes," Luna said softly. "I will remember every word."  
  


Draco studied her face. "And that makes you sad?"  
  


"Yes. I-I suppose in a way it does."  
  


"Then I'm not sure I want to do it. I may not know who I am or who you are but I have an overwhelming feeling that making you unhappy is not something I want to do."  
  


Luna reached for his hand. "Thank you, Draco. That means a lot to me, but what I really need is for you to remember why we're here so..." She held onto him for a moment before slowly letting go. "Please. For me. Take off your shirt and turn it inside out."  
  


Draco bowed his head. "Who am I to deny such a heartfelt request?" He did as he was asked and removed the shirt. He turned it inside out but before he put it back on he hesitated. "Are you sure?"  
  


Luna gazed at his well toned chest longer than she meant to then inhaled sharply and nodded. "I'm sure."  
  


Draco stared at her for another second then pulled the garment back on. The effect was instantaneous. He jumped slightly, eyes darting around.   
  
  
"Luna? What's happening? How...how did I get over here? Just a second ago, I was standing by that tree..." He pointed to a spot over a hundred yards away before something else caught his attention. "And why is my shirt on wrong way around?"  
  


"You stepped into some wander weed."  
  


"What?"  
  


"Come on," Luna said. "I'll explain it again as we walk."   
  


Luna filled him in on everything except the personal comments he made during the incident, focusing instead on how near they must be to the cave since that variety of wander weed was not native to the part of the world they were travelling in.  
  


As they finished dinner Draco said, "There's still one thing I don't understand. If I didn't remember anything, including who _you_ were, then how in the world did you convince me to do something as ridiculous as turning my shirt inside out?"  
  


"I simply asked nicely."  
  


"And I complied? Just like that?"  
  


Luna picked up a stick and busied herself stoking the fire. "Just like that."  
  


"Huh. Doesn't sound like me. Those plants must also possess a substantial mellowing effect," he chuckled. "Perhaps you should have made me stand there a bit longer."  
  


Luna kept her focus on the campfire. "Perhaps I should..."  
  


She shifted the conversation back to the search for the cave but to Draco she seemed a bit more subdued than normal and she excused herself and turned in earlier than usual as well.  
  


Draco's dreams that night consisted of him making some rather embarrassing declarations while in the field of wander weed before gathering Luna into his arms where they forgot everything except each other.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**  
  
"Luna, I don't think this is a good idea. I don't claim to be an expert regarding magical creatures but I _do_ recall reading that these things are incredibly aggressive and dangerous - not to mention strong enough to maim a mountain troll."  
  
  
"That's only when they are provoked, Draco, and besides this one is just a baby. He's only a couple of days old."  
  
Draco sat on the ground next to her and tried to think of an argument that might change Luna's mind but he was rapidly coming to the conclusion that it might not be possible.  
  
Earlier that day they had stumbled across more evidence of illegal hunting. An adult female graphorn had been brutally slaughtered, her two beautiful, golden horns sawed off to be sold on the black market for use in a wide variety of potions. The poachers must have been in a rush because they had neglected to skin the beast, leaving behind the tough hide which was an equally coveted commodity due to the fact that it was even stronger than of a dragon scales.  
  
It was this decision that had led to Draco's current predicament, for in their haste the poachers missed the fact that the animal had been covering up a newborn calf. When Draco and Luna arrived less than a day later (by Luna's reckoning) the baby was gently butting the mother's lifeless body and bleating plaintively. Luna's natural instinct was to help but each time she approached the infant it would bolt off and cower in fear.  
  
Now Luna was fixated upon the idea that they needed to care for the beast. Draco, while feeling sorry for the creature, had been trying to make the point that they simply didn't have the time to invest in a lengthy rescue and rehabilitation effort, not to mention the fact that this was a wild, unpredictable animal with the potential to cause her significant harm.  
  
Luna pointed out that graphorns were an endangered species and it would be morally wrong not to at least make an attempt at helping it. Draco would have argued his point more vigorously but he sensed that Luna saw herself reflected in the orphan calf unwilling to leave its deceased mother so he opted instead to change tactics.   
  
"Is there any chance the father might return to take care of it?" he asked.

"Sadly, in this species the father is basically just a sperm donor. He plays no part in actually raising the offspring."

"That sounds familiar," sighed Draco. He picked a long blade of grass and began absent mindedly tying it into knots. "You know, it's funny but it wasn't until recently that I truly realized that they could be anything else. I have to admit that hearing all of the stories about your father has made me more than a little jealous."

"I wish you could have met Daddy. Properly, I mean."  
  


"So do I." Draco tied a few more knots then quietly asked, "Luna - is it wrong that I don't miss my father?"  
  
"I think you do. At least, you miss what your father might have been."  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I mean that while you may not miss the man your father actually _was_ , you are sad about the relationship that you _wish_ you could have experienced if Lucius had been a different sort of person."  
  
Draco studied the blade of grass carefully then confessed, "I worry that I'll turn out like him."  
  
"You won't, " Luna said decisively.  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
Luna looked him in the eye. "Did your father ever feel bad about his actions?"

  
"He felt bad about getting caught and that things didn't turn out the way he wanted but genuine remorse for the things he did? No. I don't think that ever happened."

  
"That's the difference. Your father never asked the kind of questions you are asking. That's how I know you won't turn out like him. You've seen where that path leads and you are actively trying to avoid it."

  
"I hope you are right, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood," said Draco, flicking the blade of grass unto the ground beside him.

  
"I am, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. Besides, you asked about the owl."

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"The owl," repeated Luna. "After the incident with the elves, when I told you about how I had inadvertently injured the owl during my first year, you asked if it was okay. I don't think your father would have cared about that detail and yet you did. See?"

  
Draco was surprised that she remembered their conversations in as much detail as he did. Unsure how to process that, he turned his attention back to the scene in front of them. "Okay. If we are going to help this little guy then explain to me why can't we just go over there and pick him up?"

  
"That would be far too stressful on him," Luna said, shaking her head. "You have to take time with a frightened animal, Draco. Think of the world from its perspective. He's just a few days old. The being that he depended on for warmth, sustenance, love and protection was savagely killed right in front of it by things that look like us. It will take time for him to realize that not everything wants to harm him - that someone actually wants to help him, care for him and love him. That kind of trust doesn't happen instantaneously. It has to be earned with time and patience."

  
"But - what if he doesn't ever trust you?" asked Draco.

  
Luna's expression turned wistful as she said, "Then I will be very sad but at least I can at least say that I gave it my best effort."

  
Draco experienced a brief moment where he thought she might be talking about something other than the graphorn calf but quickly dismissed it as wishful thinking.   
  
"Well...I suppose waiting until tomorrow can't hurt. But any longer than that and we really have to press on, Luna."

  
She nodded sadly. "I know. Tomorrow. I promise."

  
They made camp a short distance away and Draco eventually went off to bed, but only after securing a solemn vow from Luna that she would call for him at the first hint of trouble.  
  
That night brought about a different sort of dream all together. In it, Draco watched as Luna approached another injured dragon. This one was in obvious pain, snarling and snapping each time she got close to it. At one point it brutally tore into her arm with its razor sharp claws, knocking her off her feet and causing her considerable injury. Time after time it attacked and time after time Luna persisted. Eventually her resolve paid off and she was able to draw near enough to touch the dragon. At that point the beast began to whimper, violently scratching at its own scales, trying desperately to pry them off.   
  
Draco heard her say, "The outer layer is suffocating you. I can help but it will be painful and it may take some time. Will you trust me?"  
  


The beast shed a tear as it nodded its massive head. With that Luna began the excruciating process of helping the poor creature remove the scales that were the cause of its agony. The procedure drug on and on but as more and more of the scales dropped away, a completely different creature started to emerge.   
  
This new being was roughly the size of a human - not too much larger than Luna herself - and was curled up in a fetal position on the ground. When the last of the outer shell had fallen away, Luna knelt down and Draco was shocked to see that the shivering, defenseless thing trapped under all those painful layers was none other than himself.  
  


He watched as Luna helped him to his feet, wrapped him in a blanket and embraced him as she whispered, "I knew you were under there somewhere."   
  


As dream Draco began to weep, the man himself woke to find tears running down his face. He lay there for a long time reflecting on the dream and its potential meaning. After a while he noticed that it was abnormally quiet outside and he began to worry for Luna's safety. He pulled himself together, got dressed and was just slipping out of the tent when he stopped and smiled at the sight before him.  
  


The baby graphorn had finally given in and was now curled up in Luna's lap. Draco ducked inside, emerging a moment later with his rucksack. He eased in beside Luna and whispered, "Seems time and patience won out, eh?"   
  
Luna nodded and the smile on her face warmed Draco more than the campfire. "About an hour ago," she said.  
  
Draco leaned in to get a closer look at the creature. "How is he doing?"  
  


"He's fast asleep but I'll need to get up soon so I can brew some formula. He hasn't eaten since his mother died. If we don't get some nourishment in him soon he may not make it."  
  


Draco began pulling ingredients from his bag. "You stay there. I think I have everything we need." Seeing her expression he chuckled, "What? I have been listening to you as we've gone along, you know. I made it a point to collect a sample of any plants you pointed out that sounded like they might come in handy. I may not have tested in Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures but I did quite well in Potions, thank you very much. I know the importance of having the proper ingredients on hand."  
  


"All this time I thought I was boring you," said Luna.  
  


"I can say many things about you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, but _boring_ will never be one of them."  
  


Following her instructions, Draco quickly brewed up some formula and transfigured a canteen into a large baby bottle. As Luna began to feed the creature Draco noticed her eyelids begin to droop.

  
Draco reached for the calf. "Here. Let me do that. You need to get some sleep. You must be exhausted."  
  


"No, thank you. I want to stay awake a while longer to make sure that he doesn't have a reaction to the potion."  
  


"Fine. Then I'll sit up with you. We can help each other stay awake."   
  


As he shifted about trying to find a comfortable position, Luna said, "You know, during the war we used to ask each other questions to try and stay alert while on patrol or guard duty."   
  


"Really? Another reason I should have joined you lot. The Death Eaters just punched you or hit you with a nasty hex." Draco made a face at the memory. "So, what kind of questions did you ask?"   
  


"Silly things. You know, like... What is your favorite color?"  
  


Draco settled in and crossed his legs in front of him. "Easy enough. Green."  
  


Luna rolled her eyes. "Typical Slytherin."  
  


"It's not that, although I suspect it may be a component. No, I've always found green to be peaceful and soothing. When I was little and my father would go on one of his tirades I would hide inside the bushes behind the manor. The green canopy felt like a protective barrier and made me feel safe."  
  


"That's lovely...and sad."  
  


"It is what it is," Draco shrugged. "What about you?"  
  


"When I was a little girl I loved pinks and purples but recently I find myself drawn to the color blue."  
  


Draco imitated her eye roll. "Typical Ravenclaw."  
  


Luna laughed. "I didn't even think of that. No, the shade I was thinking of is more of a stormy grey blue."  
  


"Why that color?"  
  


Luna started to say something then thought better of it. "That's - a bit complicated. Perhaps I'll tell you when this is all over."  
  


Not knowing quite how to respond to that Draco simply said, "Fair enough."   
  


There was an brief pause then Luna said, "All right. Now it's your turn to think of a question."  
  


"Uh, Okay... What is your favorite magical creature?"  
  


Luna answered immediately, "The Crumple Horned Snorkack."  
  


"That was quick. Why that one?"  
  


"Because of the look on Hermione Granger's face when I finally brought one into her office for categorization. She had insisted for so long that they were a figment of my father's imagination that it gave me great satisfaction to deposit one on her desk."  
  


Draco was unable to hold back his laughter. "I _knew_ there was a reason I liked you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."  
  


Luna grinned. "So - Malfoy Draco Malfoy, what is _your_ favorite magical creature?"  
  


"I don't think I had one before, but now? Definitely Ukrainian Iron Bellies - particularly Elliott."  
  


"Good choice. My turn...favorite childhood memory," said Luna.  
  


"I... don't really have many good childhood memories."  
  


Luna's gaze dropped. "I'm sorry, Draco. That was terribly insensitive of me."  
  


"Not your fault," Draco reassured her. "I suppose if I had to choose one it would be my mother reading me bedtime stories when I was a little boy."  
  


Luna perked up. "Mine too! I mean, not your mother reading to me, obviously, but my Mum reading from the Tales of Beedle the Bard. We did that almost every night until...." Her voice trailed off as she adjusted the calf in her arms.  
  


Draco scooted closer. "Tell me more about her."  
  
"Mum? She was amazing. She was incredibly gifted at earth magic and was always trying to teach me about the natural world. She loved to laugh and sing and dance. She was funny and kind and creatures of all sorts were just instinctively drawn to her."  
  


"She sounds wonderful."  
  
"She was." Luna hesitated then asked, "Would you like to see a picture of her?"  
  
"Yes. Very much."  
  
She leaned forward and a locket slipped from under her shirt. She fumbled with the calf then said, "Sorry. My hands are full. Could you open it for me?"   
  
Draco had to move in quite close to unfasten the locket. Her breath on his neck sent tingles down his spine and he worked to keep his gaze on the necklace and not the neckline of her blouse.  
  
  
The latch opened to reveal small photos of Luna's parents. Draco vaguely remembered Xenophilius but was startled to see how much Pandora resembled her daughter.   
  
"She's beautiful," said Draco, glancing up at Luna. "You look like her."  
  
Luna's eyes grew wide. "You really think so?"  
  
"Absolutely. Can't you see the likeness?"  
  
"No, but...thank you."  
  


Draco cleared his throat and shifted back to a more respectable distance. "Lovely necklace as well. Antique?"  
  


Luna nodded. "It belonged to my Mum's grandmother. Our house was destroyed during the war so the locket and the pictures inside are all I have left of Mum and her family."  
  


Draco placed his hand on Luna's shoulder and squeezed. "I never met her but I think she would be incredibly proud of you."  
  


"Honestly?"  
  


"No question about it."

"Thank you." Luna blinked back a tear then said, "Sorry - I've lost track of whose turn it is so can you ask another question, please?"  
  


Draco pulled his hand back and adjusted the collar on his shirt. "Right....um...What was your favorite story from Beedle the Bard?"  
  


Luna considered this carefully then answered, "Babbity Rabbity."  
  


"Why that one?"  
  


"People underestimated the main character because of her appearance. She also turned into a rabbit at one point in the story. I often think that is why my patronus took the shape of a hare." She paused then asked, "What about you? Which story is your favorite?"  
  


Draco answered without hesitation. "The Fountain of Fair Fortune."  
  


"Why?"  
  


"Mother wasn't allowed to read it to me. Father hated it so much he even tried to get it banned from the school library. The whole 'pure blood falling in love with a muggle' aspect of the story, you know. Apparently he went on an utter rampage in Dumbledore's office about it. Of course if your parents don't want you exposed to something, what's the first thing you want to do? So once I learned to read I would sneak down to the Manor library at night and devour all of the stories Mother wasn't permitted to share with me." He shook his head. "I honestly couldn't see what all the fuss was about but it enraged my father so it became my favorite of the lot."

  
"Clandestine and cunning. Very Slytherin," Luna grinned. "Okay then. My turn. Favorite class at school."  
  


"Potions."  
  


" Why?" asked Luna.  
  


"It was clear cut and defined. You follow an exact formula and you achieve a desired result. I liked the clarity of it," Draco said. "The murkier things became in my personal life the more I craved order and certainty wherever I could find it."  
  


"That makes sense."  
  


"What about you?"  
  


Luna snuggled the animal in her arms. "Guess."  
  


Draco pulled an exaggerated face as he pretended to mull over the question. "Umm....Care of Magical Creatures?"  
  


Luna smiled broadly. "Right in one."  
  


"Dare I ask why?"  
  
"Simple. Because in there, who I was didn't matter. The creatures didn't mind being held by Loony Lovegood. They didn't call me names or hide my belongings. They didn't care that I was odd or different. All they cared about was how I treated them. It was the one place I was sure something would love me back."   
  
The memory of how she had been treated at school, and his participation in it, once more caused Draco's heart to ache.   
  
  
Luna's voice called him back from those thoughts and forced him to focus. "Your turn again."  
  


"Right. Favorite teacher in school."  
  


"Trelawney," Luna said.  
  


Draco raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? The crazy lady who taught Divination? Why?"  
  


"The truth? When I was in that class everyone was so busy making fun of her that they forgot about me for an hour." Luna chin trembled slightly. "I'm not proud of it but there you go."  
  


"Hey. Don't feel bad about that. It makes sense. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you admitting it," Draco said, nudging her arm. "Besides, if she was half as psychic as she said she was then she should have seen it coming, right?"  
  


"Stop!" Luna tried to stifle a giggle and gave him a playful shove with her foot. "What about you?"  
  


"Favorite teacher at school? Definitely Snape. And not just because of his inclination to reward Slytherin and punish Gryffindor. Although, I'll grant you - that was a bonus."   
  
Draco gazed into the distance and turned serious. "But, honestly, it was because he kept me from making the biggest mistake of my life. If I had gone through with killing..."   
  
Draco was unable to finish the sentence so Luna reached for his hand and said, "In that case then perhaps he's my favorite as well."  
  


There was a long silence before Luna squeezed his hand and attempted to lighten her voice. "So - my turn again. Tell me the truth, Malfoy Draco Malfoy," She edged closer and asked in a loud whisper, "Did the sorting hat ever consider placing you in another house?"

  
Draco gave a furtive glance around. "If you repeat this to anyone, I will proclaim you a liar but....yes. For a brief second it considered putting me in Ravenclaw."  
  


Luna let out a rather unladylike snort. "No! Really?! Ravenclaw? We could have been housemates?"   
  


"And what's so funny about that? Don't think I'm clever enough?" Draco huffed indignantly.  
  


"What? No. I didn't mean that at all. You are incredibly clever. I was just imagining the fun you and I could have had planning tricks on the Slytherin quidditch team."  
  


"Merlin help us." Draco chuckled. "What about you? I'm guessing you gave the hat absolute fits."  
  


"And what exactly do you mean by _that_ , Malfoy Draco Malfoy?" Luna teased.  
  


"What I _mean_ , Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, is that while you obviously have enough wit for a Ravenclaw, you also possess the outrageously impulsive tendencies of a Gryffindor, the cunning mind of a Slytherin and...." Draco looked at the creature sleeping in her arms, "the heart and patience of a Hufflepuff. I'm surprised you still aren't sitting on that blasted stool waiting for the hat to make up its mind."  
  


Luna smiled nostalgically. "You know, Rolf said almost the exact same thing about me once."  
  
Draco was unsure about how he felt about that comparison and countered simply, "Well, you know. Great minds and all that..."  
  


At that moment a cool breeze blew through causing Luna to shiver. Draco summoned a blanket and draped it gently around her. "Come here. Can't let you freeze to death." Before he could move away she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Thank you, Draco," Luna murmured. "That feels nice."  
  
And with those words Luna promptly fell asleep leaving Draco to wonder how someone that was trying so diligently to _avoid_ prolonged physical contact with another person could fail as abysmally and as often as he did.  
  
Unsure how to extricate himself without waking her, Draco reasoned there would be no harm in staying in that position for a few more minutes and soon he was fast asleep as well.  
  


xoxox  
  


The dream he had while holding Luna affected Draco more than any of the others. In it he and Luna were curled up in the same position but instead of the graphorn calf, Luna was now cradling a newborn baby girl and instead of outdoors beside a campfire they were now seated on a divan inside a cozy sitting room. Rays of bright sunlight poured through large picture windows, spilling pools of light across polished wooden floors.  
  
Suddenly, a little boy with platinum blonde hair and pale grey eyes burst into the room and came charging towards them.  
  
"Mummy! Daddy! Is this her? Is this my new little sister?"  
  
"Whoa! Hold up there, big man!" laughed Draco, scooping the child in his arms and placing him gently beside Luna and the baby. "Yes, this is her but remember what we talked about? Babies are fragile so you need to be very careful around her, okay?"  
  
"Sorry, Daddy. I'm just really excited to meet her!" The boy bent down to inspect the new addition to the family. "She's so tiny. Was I ever that tiny? What's her name, Mummy?"  
  
"Yes," said Luna. "You were that tiny once and Daddy and I still trying to decide on her name. Do you have any ideas, Scorpius?"  
  
The child screwed up his face in concentration then said, "Well - I remember Daddy told me that your name meant "moon" and Draco and Scorpius are both consil...conster..."  
  
"Constellations," prompted Draco.  
  
"Yeah - that," said Scorpius. "I know that means a bunch of stars. Can she be named after stars too?"  
  
"That's a lovely thought," said Luna, "There is a constellation known as Lyra. She was a musician. There is also a phenomenon known as a Nova."  
  
"What's that?" asked Scorpius.   
  
Draco answered, "A nova is a new star - one that releases a tremendous burst of energy and light when it is created."  
  
The boy nodded firmly as he looked around the room, "That's it then. She's new and it's awfully bright in here today."  
  
"I certainly can't argue with that logic," Draco smiled, wrapping one arm around the boy and the other around Luna and the baby. "Nova Pandora Malfoy. Sounds good to me. What do you think, love?"  
  
"I think it's perfect," said Luna. She was kissing the baby on the forehead when Draco woke up.  
  
The joy and intimacy of the moment Draco had just experienced came very close to overwhelming him. As he watched Luna and the calf sleeping peacefully beside him, he was forced to finally admit the truth to himself. He hadn't been fantasizing about Luna simply because they had been thrown together for an extended period of time or because he was lonely for female companionship. The truth was he had fallen head over heels in love with this woman and wanted nothing more than a future with her - but he'd be damned if he had any idea how to make that happen.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15  
  
** "Draco. Draco. Wake up."  
  
"Mmmm....Not yet. Five more minutes," mumbled Draco.  
  
Through the haze of sleep he heard the now familiar little laugh which always made him think of a chorus of tiny bells chiming then Luna's voice once more urged, "Come on, Draco. Wake up. You're missing it."  
  
Draco slowly stretched as he tried to shake the cobwebs from his head. "Missing what?" he asked groggily.  
  
"Look," whispered Luna.  
  
It took a second for the fog in Draco's brain to lift enough that he could fully take in what Luna was so excited about but when it finally did he was in equal parts anxious and awestruck.  
  
The anxiety spawned from the fact that there was now a large adult graphorn currently standing no more than a few meters away from where he and Luna sat. The fearsome creature was slightly bigger than a rhino with a pronounced hump-back. It was covered with a thick, grayish-purple hide and a swarm of writhing tentacle-like appendages hung from its mouth. It was an impressive beast by any standards but at this range it was downright terrifying.  
  
The awe came from the awareness that standing alongside the graphorn was a unicorn. Its coat was a delicate, shimmering white that reminded Draco of one of the pearl necklaces his mother had worn on special occasions when he was a child. It's horn and hooves consisted of a warm gold which sparkled in the early morning sun and the creature itself radiated a overwhelming sense of purity and peace.  
  
Draco asked in a soft voice, "Luna, what's going on?"  
  
"It would seem the unicorn has found a mother graphorn that recently lost a calf."  
  
Draco wanted to know how she had deduced that bit of information but was unable to speak once he saw the look of absolute joy on Luna's face. In that moment he didn't care how any of this had happened. All he wanted was the ability to stop time so the woman next to him could stay that happy forever.  
  
A movement out of the corner of his eye pulled him out of his reverie. The graphorn had turned to face them and was pawing at the ground. Draco's instinct was to scramble to his feet and run but before he could do so Luna whispered, "Don't make any sudden moves. Stand up slowly and do as I do, okay?"  
  
Draco nodded and followed her lead. Once on their feet they stood very still as they watched the mother graphorn turn its attention back to the baby. The pair tentatively continued bonding then gave each other a gentle nudge before heading off into the forest together.  
  
Luna wiped a tear from her cheek and reached for Draco's hand. He sensed a tremor in her voice when she said, "He has a Mum now."  
  
What Draco _wanted_ to say was that Luna would make a brilliant mother some day and that he desperately hoped to be part of the equation when she did. He wanted to tell her that the only reason that calf had a chance in the world was because of her care and concern. He wanted to declare his feelings for her right then and there.  
  
What Draco _actually_ said was, "Yes. You're right. He does. You did a really good thing, Luna."  
  
Before any more words could be spoken they were both caught off guard as the unicorn began walking slowly and deliberately towards them. It stopped just in front of them and dipped it's head.  
  
Luna stepped towards the beast, pulling a reluctant Draco along with her. "They are like horses in the fact that they have a blind spot directly in front and behind them. You should always approach from the side so they can see you." She reached up and gave the unicorn's withers a gentle pat.   
  
Draco remained frozen beside her until she urged, "Go ahead. It's okay. Give her muzzle a scratch. They like that."  
  
Draco steadied himself then tentatively stroked a spot just above the unicorn's nose. He was astonished at how soft it felt - delicate and warm with the texture of fine suede or velvet. He inhaled deeply, taking in the rich, earthy fragrance of the animal then laughed softly as the beast nuzzled his hand in response.  
  
"See?" said Luna. "She likes you."   
  
If it weren't for how clear everything seemed Draco would have been tempted to believe that he was still dreaming. "I thought they only allowed...well...you know...certain kinds people to touch them."  
  
"You mean 'virgins', Draco?" Luna said in a tone that, if it had come from anyone else, Draco might have deemed flirtatious.  
  
Draco felt a flush rising up his neck and face. "No. I mean...I know that....You.. I...We... aren't...anymore that is...."  
  
"It's okay, Draco," Luna smiled. "I think it's fair to say that we both recognize that particular ship has sailed for both of us."  
  
Under normal circumstances Draco had no problem discussing sex, however he was fairly certain that engaging in a discussion on that topic at this moment would scupper his chances of hiding his feelings for Luna, so he opted to answer simply, "Quite," before attempting to change to subject somewhat. "I meant to say that I thought they only favored the 'pure in heart'."  
  
Luna gave him a bemused look and he hastened to add, "Not that I think there is any question regards to the state of _your_ heart, mind you. I was speaking strictly for myself."  
  
  
"Unicorns don't make moral judgments like that, Draco," said Luna. "However, like most creatures they _can_ sense gentleness and decency in people and they tend to respond to that in a like manner."  
  
As if in agreement, the unicorn turned its large, soulful eyes towards Draco and whinnied softly. The animal then gently nudged both Luna and Draco as it started back into the woods. It was slipping back into the trees when it stopped and looked back at the pair before intentionally rubbing up against a large oak. It gave them one last glance before it seemed to melt into the last vestige of the morning mist.  
  
Luna hurried to the tree and when she reached it she gave a squeal of delight. "Draco! She left us a present!"  
  
Draco, continually surprised at how Luna's small legs could often outpace him, was two steps behind. "How do you mean?"  
  
"Unicorn tail hairs! Mr. Ollivander said they were one of the 'supreme cores'. He preferred them to almost any other material when making wands. He said they produced the most consistent magic and were least subject to fluctuations and blockages."  
  
As Luna carefully pulled the hairs free of the bark, Draco tapped his finger lightly on her forehead. "Okay, spill. I can almost hear the wheels turning in there."  
  
Luna looked at him, eyes wide with excitement. "Don't you see? We can use these hairs to make secondary wands for ourselves!"  
  
"Sorry. Not sure I follow," admitted Draco.  
  
"Since we aren't sure how the magic suppressant spell that guards the cave actually works we probably shouldn't take our regular wands in with us, which means that we'll need to leave them outside along with anything that won't fit into a day pack. I mean, it only stands to reason that if magic doesn't work inside then the feather light and extension charms we've been using to carry our gear will be ineffective in there as well."  
  
Draco nodded. He hadn't considered that angle but it made sense.  
  
"However," continued Luna, "In that case, we'll need a backup wand on our person as soon as we leave the cave so we can summon our belongings. The odds of the entrance and the exit being in close proximity to each other are slim."  
  
"That's true," said Draco. "Okay. Secondary wands with unicorn hair cores it is, then. What kind of wood do you think we should look for?"   
  
  
Luna thought carefully then firmly announced, "In this situation? Fir. That's definitely what we need."  
  
"Fir. The wand wood for survivors. Excellent choice," said Draco. He chucked her lightly under her chin. "You're brilliant, you know that don't you?"  
  
"Thank you, Draco," said Luna, tipping her head to one side. 

  
"For what?"  
  


"For not doing what everyone else does."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Sounding shocked when you said that," Luna smiled softly then headed back to camp.  
  
They packed up their gear and made their way through the forest until they came across an ancient fir tree which seemed suitable for their needs. They made camp nearby and Luna provided the requisite offering of wood lice to the bow truckles in the area. When they finally made an appearance Luna showed them the brooches from Queen Astalda and in no time at all the creatures had acquired two branches from the fir that fit their requirements perfectly.  
  
They spent the next couple of evenings carefully carving the branches, with Luna teaching Draco the skills she had learned from Mr. Ollivander. Soon they both had new wands that worked almost as well as the ones they currently carried.   
  
To Draco's mind things were going as well as he could hope...until two days later when Luna approached him and spoke his name followed by four words with the power to terrify any man - magical or muggle:  
  
"Draco? We need to talk."  
  
  
  



	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16  
**  
He had known something was amiss all day. From the moment she had appeared at breakfast she had been acting strangely - no cheery greeting, little to no appetite, speaking only when spoken to and even then only responding with the fewest number of words possible. The most troubling indication had been when Draco saw her walking past no fewer than four new species of plant without so much as a second glance.  
  
By the time Luna approached him that evening, Draco was an absolute bundle of nerves.  
  
"Draco? We need to talk."  
  
Draco's insides clenched as he fought to keep both his face and body impassive. "About?"  
  
Luna was biting her lip so hard that Draco feared she was going to draw blood.   
  
"The runes."  
  
Draco blinked. Of all the topics he thought she was going to address this hadn't been one of them. "What about the runes?"  
  
"There may be a...problem...with our translation," said Luna.  
  
"What sort of...problem?"  
  
Luna began pacing around the campfire. "It's about the enchantment that supposedly guards the scroll."  
  
"The one that prevents the use of magic inside the cave?"  
  
"That's the one." Luna was now coiling a lock of hair tightly around her finger.  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Well, you see...it's possible...I mean, there is a chance...not sure of the probability mind you, but..."  
  
Draco couldn't take the suspense any longer. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to stand still. "Luna! Stop. Whatever it is, just spit it out."  
  
Luna took a deep breath and blurted, "There is a chance that the spell doesn't just inhibit the use of magic within the cave. There is a chance that it might remove a person's magical capabilities - permanently."   
  
"Excuse me?" said Draco, shrinking back from her.  
  
"It's possible that by simply entering the cave, a person could lose their ability to do magic - forever."  
  


Draco remained frozen in place, trying to absorb this new information. Finally he said, "How long have you been aware of this?"  
  


"I only realized last night that there could be a variant translation. I was inspecting the key from your archive when I saw it's reflection in my mirror. That's when I noticed that the runes could be read backwards as well as forwards and when you do that....the meaning changes." Luna wrung her hands and avoided his gaze. "I've been turning it over in my head ever since trying to figure out which translation is accurate and I-I just can't be certain." 

As Draco attempted to fully process what Luna was saying, she began backing away from him. "I know it's a lot to take in but I needed to tell you. You deserved to know sooner rather than later. If you want to back out, I understand. I can go on alone."  
  


Her words jerked Draco back into the moment. "Alone?"  
  


"If I have to, yes."   
  
Draco felt his chest tighten at this thought.  
  
"It's a tremendous decision, Draco, and one not to be taken lightly. There's no shame in deciding this is too much of an ask. I am aware this falls well outside of the conditions you signed on for. If you decide to return home, I'll send Kingsley a letter ensuring that all of the terms of your agreement are still honored. You've more than earned it by this point. Please, think it over carefully then we can talk more in the morning, okay?" Before he could reply she slipped inside her tent.  
  


For the next couple of hours, Draco prowled around as hundreds of thoughts darted around his mind. Eventually he came to a decision. He performed a couple of quick spells, grabbed his rucksack, tossed in a few essentials then scribbled out a quick note which he left alongside a small package on his pillow before setting off into the darkness alone.

  
He'd walked for about five minutes when a sharp voice rang out from behind him.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going, Malfoy Draco Malfoy?"  
  


Draco stopped moving but remained facing the other direction. "I am doing what I have to do."  
  


"What? Abandoning me?"  
  


Draco whipped around. "I am not _abandoning_ you!"  
  


Luna stood with her arms crossed, wrapped in an oversized yellow dressing gown which made her look even smaller than she already was. "Really? What other word would you use for it? I can accept you deciding not to proceed with the journey but sneaking away in the middle of the night, leaving me all alone - cast aside without even a proper good bye?"   
  
  
Draco flinched as he heard a break in Luna's voice. "That isn't what I was doing at all!" he insisted.  
  


"Well, it is certainly what it looks like!"  
  


"I am doing the only thing that makes sense in this situation," said Draco, gripping the strap of his pack tightly.  
  


"What on earth do you mean?"  
  


"I _mean_ that I kept thinking about what you said - about the possibility of losing our magic all together if we proceed, and I tried - _really tried_ \- to come up with a reason to turn tail and run home but you know what happened instead?" Draco asked, stepping closer to her.   
  
"Instead, all I could picture in my head was a world where the most remarkable witch I've ever known couldn't conjure blue bell flames or care for magical creatures or perform amazing feats of transfiguration - and I realized that wasn't a world I wanted to live in."   
  
He swallowed hard and said, "So I decided to go into the cave without you. I thought if you found out you'd try and stop me but if we are being honest I think we both know the truth - if anyone deserves to lose their magic, it's me."   
  
Luna tried to interrupt but he raised his hand. "No, listen. I cobbled together a few spells and placed an enchantment on my ring then used a protean charm to connect it to my pocket watch. I left the watch in my tent along with a letter explaining how everything works. If I succeed, I can contact you via the ring and give you my location. You could find me with the watch and return with the scroll. If I lose my magic the charm will be triggered and you'd know what happened. The same will happen in the event of my death. If that occurs my only request is that you make sure that my Mother is taken care of. That way at least one person would know that once - just once - Draco Malfoy tried to do what was right instead of what was easy."  
  


A tear rolled down Luna's cheek. "Oh, Draco. Did you honestly think I that I would allow you to do that? That I wouldn't be willing to give up my magic to ensure that thousands of people could live?"  
  


Draco reached out and wiped the tear from her face. "I never - not for one second - thought that you _wouldn't_ make that sacrifice, Luna. I'm saying that you shouldn't _have_ to. You've lost too much already. You shouldn't be asked to give up anything else."  
  


"The only things I refuse to give up at this point, Draco Malfoy, are hope - and you," said Luna, taking his hand in hers. "It's true that I don't know what's going to happen. Historically, runes and prophecies have always been maddeningly vague. We may lose our magic or we may not. The only thing I know for certain is that, either way, I _will not_ let you do this alone."  
  


"Think of what you'd be giving up, Luna," Draco whispered.  
  


"I'd rather focus on what I might gain." She sniffed and forced a smile. "Besides, what's the worst that can happen? Other than dying that is. We return as squibs and get jobs as caretakers at Hogwarts. Filch has to retire sometime, right?"  
  


Luna couldn't help but laugh at the horrified expression that flashed across Draco's face. "I'm kidding...I think," she said before turning serious. "I'm not saying it wouldn't be difficult, Draco. Losing my magic would be the second worst thing I could imagine."  
  


"What's the first?" Draco asked.  
  


"Being alone," Luna confessed. "So, if you are going then I'm going with you."   
  
She slid her hand to his wrist, clasped it firmly and fixed him with a hard stare. "Now. I want you to _swear_ there will be no more of this running off without me nonsense, okay?"  
  


Draco hesitated then gripped her wrist in response. "All right. How do you want to seal this? We don't have a third person to do the binding for an unbreakable vow."  
  


"We don't need one if I agree to take your word and your handshake as your vow."  
  


Draco smiled, recalling their exchange that first day in the Minister's office. "Still?"  
  


Luna tightened her hold on him. "Always."  
  


Draco then stood tall and announced, "All right. Then I, Malfoy Draco Malfoy, do hereby solemnly swear that Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood and I will face the rest of this expedition - and any resulting consequences - the same way we started it. Together."  
  


Luna nodded. "Together."   
  
They lingered for a moment before Luna asked softly, "Were you really willing to trust me with your Mother's care?"  
  
"Of course," said Draco, folding her into a warm hug. "I can't think of anything that I _wouldn't_ trust you with, Luna."  
  
They stayed that way for a long time before Luna stepped back and said, "Well - then I suppose we need to get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us. If our calculations regarding distance are accurate we are less than two days away from this cave."  
  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17  
  
** Sensing they were getting closer to their destination lit a fire under Draco and Luna and they covered much more ground than usual the following day. When they finally decided to make camp the light was beginning to fade. Just as he was getting ready to put up his tent, Draco stopped and peered at a nearby thicket.   
  
"Luna? Do you notice anything odd about that group of trees?"  
  
Luna squinted carefully then glanced around the clearing. "They aren't casting a shadow like the ones around them."  
  
They walked slowly towards the dense growth and Luna reached out to touch one of the branches but instead of feeling rough bark her hand swept through thin air.   
  
"It's glamoured," she said.  
  
Draco nodded. "A damn good one, too. If we'd been here at any other time of day we'd never have noticed it." With a sharp flick of his wand the glamour faded to reveal a small outcropping of rock, only about a meter taller than Draco himself. On several of the well weathered stones they could see the faint outlines of carved runes.  
  
"The cave," said Luna in a hushed voice.  
  
They stood and stared until Draco said, "So, what do you think? Try to uncover the entrance now or wait until morning?"  
  
"Morning." Luna's answer came so quickly that it almost startled Draco. She gave him a sideways glance and added, "It's been a long day and we still have some prep work to do before we go inside. Best be fresh when we start, right?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me," said Draco. He then gave her a formal bow. "Seeing as how it is my turn to fix dinner and we aren't sure how long we'll be in the cave without magic, I say we make this one special. Any requests?"  
  
Luna tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know...how about...Chef's Choice?"  
  
Draco nodded solemnly. "A weighty responsibility. I shall do my best not to disappoint you."  
  
  
"Can we have pudding for dessert?"  
  
"You are in luck. Pudding is indeed part of my culinary repertoire."  
  
"Then there is no chance of my being disappointed." Luna said with a smile.   
  
After dinner (which Luna assured him did NOT disappoint) they gathered in Luna's tent to determine which items they would need to carry with them and which ought to be left behind. Draco picked up an odd contraption laying on the table and inspected it closely.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"Oh! That is quite ingenious. It's a muggle headlamp." Luna fixed an elastic strap around her head then flipped a switch which caused a small lantern to illuminate. "See? It provides light in whatever direction your head is turned while leaving your hands free. I have two - one for each of us."  
  
Draco was going to admit that it was quite a clever device but rolled his eyes when Luna added, "Harry provided them for us."  
  
"Really? Potter? Merlin's beard," groused Draco. "Now if I make it through this I will once again owe a debt of gratitude to the 'chosen one'."  
  
"There are worse things, Draco," chided Luna gently.  
  
"Of course there are," said Draco in a dry tone. "Give me a few days and I'm sure I'll think of them."   
  
They eventually got everything sorted and Draco went back to his tent for the night. Just as he was getting into bed there was a rustling noise outside and he heard Luna's voice call out, "Draco? Your light was still on. Are you awake?"  
  
"Yeah. Come on in."  
  
Luna peeked her head inside and quietly said, "I'm sorry to bother you but...I find myself a little nervous about tomorrow so I was wondering - Could I sleep in here tonight?"  
  
"Sure," Draco said, trying to conceal the delight in his voice. "Honestly, I was thinking about asking you the same thing."  
  
He summoned her bed into the same arrangement as before. As they were settling in, Luna whispered, "Everything's going to be okay, isn't it?"  
  
  
"Of course will," said Draco with a bit more certainty than he actually possessed. "You'll see. It'll be a piece of cake."  
  
Luna's eyes twinkled. "Chocolate cake?"  
  
"Certainly. What other kind is there?" Draco said with a grin.  
  
"Thank you, Draco. That makes me feel better. Good night."  
  
"Good night, Luna," Draco said as he extinguished the lights.   
  


It came as no surprise to Draco that his dreams that night included some rather creative uses for chocolate pudding.  
  



	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**  
  
  
The next morning they packed up the last of the items they would be leaving behind then Luna climbed into the branches of a nearby yew tree to leave the packs under the protection of the bowtruckles.  
  
As she was climbing down she glanced over her shoulder and said, "Draco? It would seem that we have company."  
  
Draco turned with a start. By the entrance to the cave stood a massive creature with beady eyes, oversized hairy ears and a bulbous nose. It's leathery hide was a dull reddish gray and it measured a little over seven feet tall. It was quite muscular but at the same time had a rather pronounced pot belly.   
  
Draco groaned to himself. It was a troll. Of course it was.  
  
To his further dismay, Luna was now purposefully making her way towards the creature. Draco grabbed her arm and whispered, "Tread carefully. Remember, trolls are incredibly strong but immensely stupid."  
  
"We also have superb hearing," the troll snorted. "By the way - the stupidity comment is really offensive. And you lot wonder why we keep on looting and pillaging?"  
  
Draco stood in stunned silence as Luna stepped forward and curtseyed. "Our deepest apologies, sir. The only trolls we have experience with are significantly less well spoken."  
  
"And the humans I usually deal with are significantly less pale and tend to show a bit more respect. Still no excuse to paint an entire species with the same brush. I'll have you know there are a wide variety of trolls and each culture is unique, thank you very much."  
  
"We can see that. May I ask which tribe you belong to?" Luna asked as Draco marveled at how she was carrying on the conversation in the same casual tone she would use if chatting with a friend at the market.  
  
"I don't have a tribe, per se. My family is utterly unique. Only fifteen of us. Mother was half troll and Father was half giant. Bit of a scandal really. Inherited this job from me Mother's side. First one in three generations to actually get summoned for duty."   
  
The troll cracked it's oversized knuckles and flexed his thick neck. "Must say, I'm kind of excited about it. Don't get to do much of this sort of thing anymore. New blood and all. You can only ransack the same villages so many times without getting a bit bored, really."  
  
"I would imagine so," said Luna. "Please forgive me if this is a silly question, but what exactly is the procedure here? For gaining entrance to the cave, I mean."  
  
"Not silly at all, dearie. The first step would be for you to tell your boyfriend to put his wand away. It's a bit rude to brandish it around and besides, it won't do him any good. If he kills me or renders me unconscious you're spot out of luck. You see, only _I_ can open the entrance."  
  
Luna gestured to Draco to put away his wand and he reluctantly complied. "All right. So this isn't a test of strength or courage then?"  
  
"Oh no, you'll need plenty of that later. At least that's what I've heard. Never been inside myself. Value my lovely hide too much for that."

  
"Then how do we convince you to grant us access?" asked Luna.  
  
"Couldn't be simpler," the troll said. "You pay the price."  
  
Something about the way the troll said that made Draco very uneasy. "And what, pray tell, is _the price_?"  
  
"Something irreplaceable," said the troll.  
  
"What does that mean?" asked Draco.  
  
"And you thought I was stupid?" scoffed the troll. " _Irreplaceable_ means something that is impossible to replace if lost or..."  
  
"I know what the _word_ means," snapped Draco. "I meant what does it mean to _you_ in the context of getting into the cave."  
  
  
"It means just what it means, _boy_ ," snarled the troll.  
  
"Draco wasn't trying to be rude, Mr. Troll," interjected Luna, giving Draco a warning glance. "We just want to make sure that we don't offend you by offering you something less than what you deserve."  
  
This seemed to pacify the troll to some extent. "Then he should have said that."  
  
"Perhaps if you gave us an example, it would help us to better understand the requirement?" said Luna.  
  
"It's not all that complicated," said the troll. "The original creators of the cave engaged my ancestors as guardians of the entrance. Part of the contract included an enchantment on every member of the line. What we now crave most in the world are the memories attached to certain items. We actually feed on them. The rarer the item - the more singular the recollections - the tastier they become. You hand over the most precious material object you have and I let you inside. Easy as that."   
  
"Got it. Precious material object," said Draco, handing over his new wand. "Take this."  
  
The troll barely glanced at him. "Worthless. Brand new. Barely a handful of memories attached. Besides, you have another. And don't waste your time going for that one either. Magic folk lose and replace wands all the time. Nothing special about that. Try again."   
  
Draco eyed him warily then removed his Malfoy signet ring. "Fine. Here. Solid silver. Genuine diamonds and emeralds."  
  
The troll bent down and inspected it briefly before shaking it's head. "No. It may have monetary value but it doesn't matter to you." It's nose twitched slightly. "And some of the memories that are attached are a bit...sour."  
  


Luna stepped forward and before Draco could stop her she offered the troll her wedding ring. "What about this?"  
  
"Better...," said the troll. He weighed it carefully in his scaly hand then handed it back to her. "But still not enough. I smell something more valuable on you."   
  
The troll hunched over and tried to shove his slimy nose against Luna's neck. Draco snatched her away, placing himself between her and the creature as he growled, "Back off."  
  
The troll looked almost amused by this. "You think you can hurt me, _boy_?"   
  
Draco glared, refusing to back down. "Maybe. Maybe not. But if you can bleed, then I can damn sure try."  
  


Luna moved from behind him and said, "Stop, Draco. I know what he wants now."  
  
She removed the locket from around her neck and handed it over as Draco protested, "Luna, no. It's all you have left of your Mum."  
  


"Exactly. That's why he wants it."

  
"Fine. Give him the locket but at least keep the picture. I'll go...."   
  


Luna gave him a sharp look and said, "Don't even _think_ about finishing that sentence, Draco Malfoy. We settled this the other night, remember? We finish the way we started - together."   
  
She turned back to the troll. "So - what do you say?"  
  


The troll took the locket and inhaled deeply. "Now, _that's_ more like it. Definitely worth an entrance."  
  


"Two," said Luna firmly.  
  


This seemed to surprise the troll "Excuse me?"  
  


"Open it up," Luna said.  
  


The troll's thick fingers fumbled with the clasp until it finally opened. He licked his lips greedily and a tiny spittle of drool dripped off its chin.   
  
"Mmmmm....very tasty."  
  


Luna nodded. "The locket itself is the only thing I have left from my mother's family. The photo inside is the only one I have of my mother. Two irreplaceable objects. Two entrances."  
  


Draco hated how helpless he felt at that moment. "Luna, are you _sure_?"  
  


"I know what she looks like, Draco. He can take the locket and the picture but he can't take my memories of her."  
  


Draco reached for her hand. "I will find some way to make this up to you. I _swear_ it."  
  


Luna looked into his eyes and said, "Stay alive. That will be more than enough compensation for me."  
  


The troll cleared his throat and tapped his large, hairy foot. "This is all very touching but can we move things along? My family and I have an entire village to ransack before lunch and I'm already feeling peckish."  
  
"Both of us?" challenged Luna.  
  
"Fine. Both of you." The troll rolled its tiny, red rimmed eyes. "Not enough meat on either of you to make a proper meal anyway."  
  
The beast turned and placed its enormous hands shoulder width apart on the rock face and gave a mighty shove. There was a tremendous creaking sound as an opening just large enough for a person to fit through slowly appeared before them.   
  
The troll strained against the weight and grunted, "Well. Go on! We don't issue engraved invitations around here."  
  
Draco and Luna hastily grabbed their packs and hurried through the mouth of the cave. They had no sooner made it inside when they heard a deafening crack and they were plunged into total darkness.  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

  
"Well...That was a touch melodramatic now, wasn't it?" Luna said, flipping on her headlamp.  
  
"A bit," said Draco, fishing the lantern from his bag. He got it situated then asked, "You okay?"  
  
"Fine. You?"  
  
"I feel a little...off... to be honest," confessed Draco.  
  
"So do I. I suppose it's the cave suppressing our magic," said Luna. She raised her hands and made the motions she would normally do to conjure blue bell flames but nothing happened. "Odd. It's not really a sensation at all...more of an 'unfeeling' I guess you'd call it."  
  
Draco removed his new wand from his pocket and immediately noticed the absence of the comforting warmth and tingle that would normally accompany such an action. He tried to cast a simple levitation spell.   
  


Nothing.  
  
"Wow," said Draco in a halting voice. "I-I suppose I never really noticed the constant, intrinsic... vibration of my magic before. I guess I only ever paid attention when I was calling upon it to cast a spell. It's strange not to feel it at all."   
  
"It reminds me of a time when Daddy and I were visiting the coast and a hurricane hit," said Luna. "We went outside during the eye of the storm and what struck me most was the silence. A few minutes before it had been all sound and fury and then - nothing. No wind, no rain, no birds just....stillness."  
  
Draco nodded, remembering a time he had been at school between terms when no other students were present and how unsettling it had been to walk through corridors and the Great Hall without the familiar hum of voices and footsteps surrounding him.  
  
"But it will be fine," assured Luna. "It will just makes us appreciate our magic all the more when we get it back, won't it?"  
  
"Sure. Absolutely," said Draco, deciding to rely on Luna's optimism. "Let's see what we have to work with in here then."  
  
They swept their lights around to take in their surroundings. The space was larger than Draco would have imagined from the outside. Directly in front of them was a good sized tunnel. The stones around it were smooth and dry and the path that was visible from where they stood looked clear and free of obstacles.  
  
  
"Is it just me or does having only one way to go seem a touch too convenient?" asked Draco.  
  
"I agree. Lucky for us there is a second choice," said Luna, pointing to a portion of wall off to her right.  
  
Her light was illuminating a narrow crevice just under a meter wide. Its walls were coated with slime and wet moss and it looked significantly more ominous than the first option.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Lucky for us." Draco glanced between the two then asked, "I don't suppose there's any chance that the nice, dry, friendly looking tunnel is the one we want?"   
  
"Only one way to find out." Luna knelt down and selected a rock a little larger than a quidditch bludger. She handed it to Draco and tipped her head towards the larger of the entrances. "Go ahead. Give it your best shot."  
  
Draco warmed up his arm, planted his feet firmly then threw the stone with all his might. It sailed past the lights of their headlamps and at first there was total silence. A moment later they heard a deep rumble growing in the distance. Suddenly the ground began to shake and an immense tremor caused them both to fall to the ground as the tunnel collapsed into a massive cloud of dust and falling debris.  
  
They helped each other to their feet, squinting and coughing. "Are you hurt?" asked Draco.  
  
"No, I'm good," said Luna, wiping some dust from her trousers. "Well - I think that answers that question, doesn't it?"  
  
"It does indeed," Draco said, shouldering his gear. "Shall we?"  
  
They entered the remaining tunnel and began their descent with Draco insisting upon taking the lead. The first hour was incredibly claustrophobic and more than once they were only barely able to squeeze through a tight spot but eventually the path widened and the trek became more manageable.  
  
As they moved deeper underground the air got progressively colder. Draco noticed Luna starting to shiver and pulled a jumper out of his bag.  
  
"Here. Put this on." Seeing the look on her face he said, "What? I packed a spare in case you got cold."  
  
"Thank you, Draco," Luna said, pulling the jumper over her head. "I threw in an extra pair of socks for you if you need them."  
  
Before Draco could express his appreciation, the sound of water hitting water caught their attention. They navigated a tight bend in the path in front of them and found themselves on the edge of an large, subterranean lake.  
  
Through the darkness they could just make out the other shore roughly twenty meters away. Luna studied it carefully and said, "A body of water of this type would typically be much further underground, which leads me to believe this one has been placed here deliberately."  
  
"So I'm guessing that popping in for a swim would be ill advised?" asked Draco.

  
As if in response there was a loud splash as a portion of a large, dark, serpentine creature briefly broke through the water before diving once again.   
  
"Oh, sweet Circe. I really need to stop asking those questions..." Draco sighed. "Okay. Any thoughts what _that_ might be?"  
  
"I only caught a glimpse but if I were to guess, I'd say it was probably some sort of genetically engineered eel hybrid. If it were a naturally occurring cave dweller it wouldn't have any pigment." Luna swept the beam of her torch around the surface of the lake. "It doesn't seem to respond to the light so it is most likely either blind or extremely short sighted due to the constant darkness. That could work in our favor."  
  
  
Draco knelt by water's edge and picked up a handful of small bones. " _This,_ however, indicates to me that the creature is at least partially carnivorous...which certainly _doesn't_ work in our favor."   
  
"It is a disadvantage...." Luna said, staring at the walls around them. It was only then that Draco noted that the rocks circling the lake were covered with thousands of squirming glow worms.   
  
"Hey, Luna? By any chance does this variety of glow worm have a similar physiology to flobber worms? I mean if you thought they'd sedate something as large as a Selma then perhaps we could use these..." Draco was cut short by Luna flinging herself at him and wrapping him in a tight embrace.  
  
" You remembered!"  
  
Draco tried not to smile as he worked to maintain both his balance and his dignity. "Yes. Well. It has been known to happen. You could do me the courtesy of sounding slightly less astonished by that fact."   
  
He returned the hug and held on a bit longer than was strictly necessary before extracting himself. "So - if you think that would work then how many of these little buggers do you reckon we need to collect?"  
  
Luna scrunched her nose and forehead as she worked out a calculation in her head. "That's a bit tricky. Since we don't know how often the creature eats the worms, we can't be certain what its natural tolerance for them is. I'd rather be safe than sorry so I'd go with...four or five hands full each to start? That ought to make something of this size sleepy without causing it irreparable harm."  
  
They collected the requisite number of worms but before throwing them in the water Draco said, "I'm assuming that we only have a finite amount of time before these wear off so let's get our plan in order before we start the clock ticking. Which is the better choice - swimming or using the rocks?"  
  
He pointed towards a series of large stones sticking up from the water's surface. While they stretched all the way across, their spacing was irregular. They were all close enough to each other to make the crossing possible but they were also just far enough apart to make the attempt risky. To further complicate matters, the tops appeared slippery, making falling in a real possibility.  
  
Luna gave the matter a great deal of consideration then said, "While swimming _appears_ to be the preferred option it actually comes with the greatest amount of risk. If we miscalculate the time the creature is dormant and it wakes up while we are in the water then it has the advantage. We'd have no chance of outswimming it or climbing on the rocks before it got us. Also, both ourselves and all our gear would be drenched by the time we'd reach the other side which, considering the temperature down here, brings a very real danger of hypothermia."   
  
"That settles it. Rocks it is," said Draco, picking up a handful of the worms. "Ready?"  
  
  
They quickly tossed in all the worms and just as the last batch hit the water the creature burst to the surface. It grabbed its prey in one fell swoop then dived again but it was visible long enough to give Draco and Luna a glimpse of a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.  
  
"Right. As charming as that little guy looks, let's try and avoid him, shall we?" said Draco. "How long do you think we have?"  
  
"It shouldn't take long for the worms to take effect but to be on the safe side I wouldn't bet on us having more than ten minutes to get across."  
  
"Best get at it then," said Draco, stepping towards the edge of the water. "I'll go first."  
  
Luna started to disagree but Draco was having none of it. "No, Luna. This makes the most sense. My arms and legs are longer. Better chance of me making each jump and better chance of grabbing hold of you if you fall short."  
  
Before she could argue, Draco leapt to the first rock. He bobbled slightly then managed to steady himself. "See? Piece of cake."  
  
Luna jumped and Draco easily caught her around the waist and made sure she was safe before he moved on to the next rock. Luna followed suit and Draco was about to praise her rock jumping abilities when they observed the first stone sinking into the water.  
  
"Oh..." Luna said. "That's an interesting development. It seems the only way is forward then."  
  


"It would seem so," said Draco.   
  
They jumped to the next rock and the same thing occurred - the previous rock dipped silently below the surface, making backtracking impossible.  
  
"You know what, Luna? I don't think I've mentioned this before but I'm seriously beginning to dislike this bloke Pertento and all of his bloody descendants."  
  
"They obviously had some trust issues, I'll grant you that," agreed Luna.

  
They pressed on, making their way rock by rock across the lake. They experienced a few close calls and Draco just barely managed to keep Luna from falling in at the halfway point but soon they had almost completed the crossing, with only the gap from the final stone to the shore remaining.  
  
They were debating who should jump first as the distance appeared too great for Luna to make in one go when their discussion was cut short by a splashing sound behind them. They turned and saw a large ripple making its way slowly across the water in their direction.  
  
"Jump. Now," said Draco firmly.  
  
"No. You go first. You've got the better..."  
  
She didn't get to finish. Draco hoisted her off her feet and leapt, however their combined weight shortened his stride and he ended up knee deep in the water about a meter away from their destination. He managed to keep his hold on Luna and fought to get to dry land before the creature got to them.  
  
They reached the shore and began backing away quickly but both lost their footing on the wet rocks and fell just as the beast lunged for them. They managed to scramble far enough from the water to avoid being bitten, leaving the creature shrieking angrily at them before slipping back into the murky depths.  
  
As they lay on the ground trying desperately to catch their breath Draco panted, "Luna? If it's okay with you, I - I think I'll take those socks now."  
  
  



	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**  
  
  
After regaining their composure (and changing Draco's socks) they continued down a narrow passage that eventually opened into a small round chamber. As they stepped inside a fire magically ignited in the center of the room, illuminating a series of closed doors along the far wall. As they moved towards the light, the opening behind them abruptly sealed shut leaving them trapped.  
  
"Well...that's not ominous at all," said Draco.   
  
Luna nodded as she warmed herself by the fire. "We have heat and light now though. Puts us ahead of where we were at least."  
  
"Can't argue with that," said Draco, taking his place beside her. He scanned the room, observing that all of the doors appeared to be of a sturdy wood construction with intricate metal locks incorporated on each. "So a row of locked doors. I'm guessing this is where our key comes into play?"  
  
"Must be," said Luna.  
  
"So do we just try it in each lock until we find the right one?"  
  
Luna shook her head. "No. They wouldn't have made it that easy. My guess is that we only get one shot at this so we'll need to narrow down which door before we try anything."

  
"How do we do that?"  
  
"It looks like each one is inscribed with runes of some kind. Given what we've been through so far I'd say we have to translate them then solve some sort of riddle or puzzle. Only then will the key unlock the right door."  
  
"Riddles for a Ravenclaw? This shouldn't be too hard," said Draco.

  
Suddenly a deep male voice spoke up from behind them. "Ooooo! Look who thinks they're so clever!"

  
Draco whipped around. "Who said that?"

  
Another male voice, this one a bit higher pitched, chimed in from the other direction. "Who said that?"

  
Draco wheeled about. "Stop doing that!"

  
More voices now joined in. "Stop doing that!"  
  
Draco was becoming increasingly infuriated. "Show yourselves!"  
  
The chorus replied, "Show yourselves!"

  
Luna began to giggle which only served to irritate Draco further. "And just what, pray tell, do you find so funny about this?!"  
  
Luna gestured towards the doors. "They _are_ showing themselves."  
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
Luna stood beside to one of the doors and pointed at the elaborate lock. "The keyholes. They've been charmed. They can talk."  
  
She knelt down and spoke directly to the object in question. "Hello. My name's Luna. What's your name?"  
  
There was a short pause then a distinctly feminine voice replied, "Hello, Miss Luna. My name is Sera. Very nice to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Talking bloody keyholes." Draco ran his hands through his hair. "You know, for a cave that doesn't allow magic, there are a _ridiculous_ number of enchantments in this place."  
  


The deep voice from before said, "Only _outside_ magic is off limits. For every rule there is an exception - especially when you are the one creating the rules."

  
A new voice joined the conversation. "Oh, like YOU created the rules, _Clavis_."

  
"I didn't say I did, now did I?" Clavis sniffed.

  
Sera spoke up, "Certainly implied it though, didn't you?"

  
"Oh, come on! I haven't talked to anyone other than you lot in centuries. Pardon me for trying to draw out the conversation a little."

  
An older female voice called out, "Step into the light a bit more, dearie. Yes, you. Little blond girl. Let's have a proper look at you."

  
Luna did as asked and the voice responded, "Oh! She's a pretty one."

  
A haughty male voice sniffed, "Ugh. Looks a bit common if you ask me. Plain features, stringy hair, tatty clothes..."

  
"Oi!" Draco snapped. "Watch yourself! I may not be able to use magic in here but I can damn well use a screwdriver and dismantle a bloody door if you don't mind your tone about her."   
  
The remaining doors responded with a low, "Ooo...."   
  
Luna raised an eyebrow and Draco shrugged. "What? You've sacrificed a great deal to get us this far. I won't stand around and allow you to be insulted by hardware."

  
"Okay! Calm down!" said the offending door. "No need to get violent. That won't get you anywhere." 

  
"Vena's right. If the lad can't keep it together in here then how will they ever survive..." 

  
"Shut up, Clavis!" shouted the others in unison.  
  


"Sorry..."  
  


Luna walked from door to door studying each one turn. She stopped suddenly and exclaimed, "Wait! It doesn't matter."  
  
"What doesn't matter?" asked Draco  
  
  
"We don't have to answer _all_ of the riddles. We just have to answer the _right_ one."   
  
Draco took the key from his bag and made a quick pass down the line. "Got it!"   
  
"What do you see?" asked Luna.  
  
"This key is made of an incredibly rare alloy. There are thirteen doors here but only these two have locks made of the same substance as the key. We only have to figure out which of them is the correct one and..." Draco snapped his fingers and winked at Luna. "Hey, presto."  
  
"Very clever," snipped Clavis, who happened to be one of the doors in question. "But here comes the tricky part. You can only try the key in one of us. If you choose the wrong one, all of us disappear and you are stuck in here - forever."  
  
The second door chimed in. "The rules are simple. You may ask only one question – to either of us – to help you deduce which of us is the correct one. Sounds simple enough, but there’s a catch. When it comes to questions regarding which of us can accept the key, one of us always lies, and one always tells the truth."  
  
Luna pondered this then turned to Clavis, "All right. Answer yes or no." She gestured towards the door in front of Draco. "Would the other door tell me that you lead to the scroll?"  
  
Clavis hesitated then answered, "Yes."   
  
Luna lifted her chin triumphantly. "Then _you_ are the wrong door and _he_ is the one that will lead us to the scroll."  
  
"What makes you so sure?" Clavis challenged.  
  
"Simple. If you are the one who lies, then you would lead us astray by telling us, falsely, that he will point us towards himself. This makes him the correct answer."  
  
Draco sidled up next to Luna and draped his arm over her shoulders. "However, if you are the one who tells the truth, you will tell us honestly that he would point us towards himself. This _also_ makes _him_ the correct answer."  
  
Luna nodded proudly at Draco. "So you see, in both cases, the outcome is the same. To find the scroll, we must walk through the opposite door than what you've told us."  
  
Draco and Luna smiled at each other, looking immensely pleased with themselves.   
  
  
Clavis grumbled "Show offs," before reluctantly allowing Draco to turn the key and open the door, revealing another passageway on the other side.  
  
Before they walked through Luna waved to the doors and said, "It was very nice meeting all of you. Thank you for your assistance. "  
  
Once the door closed behind them there was a brief moment of silence then Clavis said, "A shame, you know. They were a cute couple. I actually liked them. Pity they're going to die."  
  



	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

  
Draco and Luna barely had time to bask in their cleverness before the full force of the next trial hit them head on.  
  
One moment Draco telling Luna how brilliant she was and the next he was hurled back into that traumatic day in the Room of Requirement and was forced to relive every agonizing second. He saw Crabbe trying to kill Potter and the others before conjuring the fiendfyre, even after Draco had ordered him not to, then watched helplessly as the room went up in flames while he tried to save Goyle by dragging him up onto a fragile pile of charred desks.  
  
He once again suffered through the intense heat and paralyzing fear that he was going to be burned alive as he heard and smelled the same fate consuming Crabbe - except at this point the scene deviated from the actual events.  
  
This time he and Goyle weren't rescued by Potter and Weasley. This time the trio flew past, jeering that Draco deserved the fiery end that awaited him. He and Greg tried to climb higher but the other boy didn't make it. As the flames then licked towards Draco, he heard his mother calling out. He spun around and saw Narcissa clawing her way through the burning debris trying to save her only child. He begged her to turn back then watched in horror as the fire devoured her, all the while hearing the voice of his father berating him about what a failure he was.  
  
Then things got even worse. There was a soft cry and to Draco's horror he spied Luna standing in the middle of the conflagration pleading with him to rescue her. He fought desperately to reach her but before he got close he witnessed the flames claim her as well.  
  
Just as Draco felt his own body succumbing to the fire, the scene reset and he was made to experience the same thing over and over again. During the third round, however, a different sound began to invade his consciousness. By the fourth time he was able to push back at the images just enough to recognize the inconsistencies in the timeline - not only had he escaped but neither his mother nor Luna had ever been in the room that day to begin with.  
  
  
This awareness allowed him to finally isolate the noise he was hearing and determine that it was the sound of the real Luna in distress. This knowledge jump started the synapses he needed. He closed his eyes and struggled to remember the mental tricks Snape taught him to protect his mind from this type of assault. It took an intense amount of concentration and effort for him to implement those tactics without his magic but eventually he was able to break free of the illusion.  
  
He resurfaced from the overwhelming sea of images, gasping for air. He shook his head firmly to clear his brain then searched wildly for Luna, finally locating her curled up on the floor a short distance away, whimpering like an injured animal. He scooped her into his arms and charged forward, not slowing until he felt the mental onslaught start to die down. Even then he pushed on until he could go no further, hoping the more distance he put between Luna and the spell the weaker it would become.   
  
Once he felt far enough away he dropped to his knees and cradled her in his arms. "Shhh...It's okay, Luna. I promise. It's not real. Whatever you're seeing, _it's not real_." He rocked back and forth repeating, "Not real, I tell you. Push past it. It's a lie, understand? Come on. You can do it. Fight it, you hear me?"  
  
As Luna continued to shudder and squirm, Draco tightened his grip and whispered fiercely, "Come on, love! Listen to me. Focus on my voice. Listen to me and....and breath, remember? Like you taught me. In and out. In and out. Like this." He inhaled and exhaled slowly as an example.  
  
A second later he felt a slight change in her breathing. "That's it. Good girl. Just like that. Breathing, hearing...now, touch... touch...What can I..." He quickly reached into his pack and produced a soft wool blanket which he wrapped around her before embracing her once again. "There. Nice and warm and snuggly, right?"  
  
Luna settled down a bit but continued to flinch and twitch as if in pain. Draco worked to keep his panic under control. Another thought occurred to him and he fished a piece of chocolate from his pocket. "Here you go. I bet this will get your attention, eh?"  
  
He unwrapped one corner and held it under her nose. "Smell that? The good stuff, right?" He broke off a tiny sliver and slipped it gently into her mouth, trying not to think about how it felt when his fingers brushed her lips. "How about that? I'm wagering wherever you think you are they don't have European chocolate, do they? I'm saving the rest of that for when we find the scroll. Did you hear that? I said _when_ \- not _if_ \- so don't you dare make a liar out of me, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."  
  
Luna's face relaxed slightly but other than that she remained unresponsive.  
  
"Come on, love," begged Draco, running his fingers through her hair. "Fight this. You can do it. I know you can. I called you impulsive the other night but I was wrong. You aren't impulsive. You are brave - so very, very brave. As a matter of fact, you are the bravest person I've ever met. I'd take you, just you on your own, over a whole battalion of bloody Gryffindors - any day of the week and twice on Sundays, you know that?"  
  
"And that's why I need you to fight." Draco's voice started to break. "Please? Please, Luna. Please, love. I can't do this without you. Any of this. Please..."  
  
Luna abruptly convulsed in his arms and for a moment he was terrified that he was losing her. She then woke with a start, eyes darting wildly about as she tried to regain her bearings. She looked at Draco and whispered, "Draco? Is that you?"  
  
"Yes, love. It's me. Are you okay?"  
  
Tears started to stream down Luna's cheeks. "Oh, Draco. I'm sorry. So sorry. Truly, I am. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean..."  
  
"Hey...Shh...Hush," said Draco, wiping her face. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. I'm fine. Everything's fine."  
  
Luna shook her head violently. "No. No. It's not. It's my fault. All my fault. All of it."  
  
"Luna, I don't know what you think is your fault but..."  
  
"Everything! Everything...." And with a sob, Luna haltingly revealed the visions that had tormented her.  
  
She had relived the deaths of her mother, father and late husband - all of whom (in her mind) blamed Luna for what happened to them. Her mother had claimed the experiment that took her life went wrong because her young daughter distracted her and she would have been fine if she hadn't tried to shield Luna from the spell.  
  
The scene had then shifted to Azkaban where Luna heard her father blaming her for his wife's death. She had then watched helplessly as he was tortured by the dementors all the while insisting that everything would have been fine if Luna hadn't become friends with Harry and the others.  
  
Next had been Rolf on the other side of quarantine glass - crying out that if Luna had come along on that fateful trip he wouldn't have gotten sick or at the very least they both would have contracted the pox and passed together, instead of him dying all alone in a cold, sterile hospital room.  
  
Just when Draco thought his heart couldn't take any more, Luna said in a small voice, "Then there was you..."  
  
"Me?"  
  
  
The anguish on her face was heartbreaking as she choked out, "I had it all wrong. We didn't find the scroll in here and when we finally got out your magic was gone and you were so very angry with me. You shouted and threw things and called me..."  
  
Draco cut her off gently but firmly, "It doesn't matter what you imagined I said. You can forget it. All of it, because it wasn't true. _None_ of it was true, understand?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"But nothing. It was a nasty piece of spell work set up to prey upon our worst fears. None of it was true and nobody blames you for anything, Luna. I know that because we all love you and we would never want you to feel guilty for something that wasn't your fault. Ever. Do you hear me?"  


As she continued to tremble, Draco took her hands in his and pleaded, " _Please_ , Luna. You have to believe me, okay? No matter what happens, I will never blame you. Even if I lost my magic. Even if I die tomorrow - which I'm not planning on, by the way - I _swear_ to you that _I. Will. Not. Blame. You_."   
  
He moved his hands to her face and forced her to look at him. "Now - give us a nod and let me know that you understand that, will you?"  
  
He brushed her cheek with his thumb until he got a feeble nod from her.  
  
"There we go," said Draco. "Now I'm going to try and get you properly warmed up. I see some bits of fire crab shell lying about. Let's see if I can make this work without magic, shall we?"  
  
Draco stacked some stones into a makeshift fire pit, tossed in some fire crab shells and pulled out the waterproof muggle matches Luna had packed. On the third try the match caught and soon they had a small but cozy fire going.  
  
Draco pulled her close and briskly rubbed her arms to warm her. "There. Not much but better than nothing."  
  
"Thank you," whispered Luna.  
  
"You are most welcome but if you really want to thank me then promise not to tell Potter just how many of these muggle items I relied on. Can't let him think I owe him anymore than I already do. I have a reputation to uphold around him, you know."   
  
"Your secret is safe with me," said Luna. She wrapped the blanket tighter and rested her head on his shoulder. "Can we stay here for a while?"  
  
  
"I think that's an excellent idea," said Draco. He slipped off their headlamps as he lay down, pulling her along with him. "I don't know about you but I've just been through a hell of a scare and my focus isn't what it ought to be. If we press on in this condition I'm afraid we'll walk into something that we can't walk out of. I say we rest for a bit and move forward when we're more refreshed, okay?"  
  
They managed to drift off for a while until Draco felt her moving restlessly as if she was having a bad dream and when he sat up he found she had rolled free of the blanket. He was covering her back up when, without waking, she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist. As soon as she did this her entire demeanor shifted. Her expression changed from one of tension and anxiety to one of peace and contentment. She sighed and smiled in her sleep as if all were now right with the world.

  
The instinctive intimacy of that act caused something to crack within Draco and in a flash all of the emotional defenses that he had painstakingly constructed came tumbling down. He brushed a stray hair from her face and pressed a lingering kiss onto her forehead.   
  
He pulled back and froze when he saw that she was now awake. Their eyes met and he was about to stammer out an apology when Luna unexpectedly grabbed the front of his jumper and crashed her lips to his. What little resolve he had left crumbled away and he melted into the kiss, savoring every second and wondering at the fact that the reality of her was infinitely better than anything he had imagined.  
  
He wanted to stay like that forever but soon a klaxon began sounding in his brain, screaming at him that she was confused. She was obviously still in a dream state and was most likely under the impression that she was kissing her late husband. The thought of her disgust when she realized he had taken advantage of the situation caused him to push her away, saying, "Stop. Luna. No."  
  
He waited for the harsh rebuke for taking liberties with her but instead the words she spoke both shocked and bewildered him.  
  
"My apologies," she said. "For a moment I forgot that you find me hideous."

"Wait. W-what?!" Draco stared in disbelief then reached to inspect her skull. "Hold on. Did you sustain a head injury back there? Did that spell scramble your brain?"  
  


Luna swatted his hands and scooted away from him. "Oh, please, Draco. I've done everything including literally throwing myself at you. You're not gay, married or otherwise involved. The only other reason a man that has been alone as long as you have consistently rejects the advances of a female is because he finds them repulsive."  
  


"Hold on. You think _that's_ why..." Draco began to laugh. "Great gorgons! Of all the blind, misguided,..."  
  


He stopped when he saw the pain in Luna's eyes. "There is no need to be cruel, Draco. You've already made it clear..." She choked on her words and turned away in an effort to hide her tears.

  
"Oh, bugger. Luna. No. Look at me. Please, Luna." He moved in front of her and lifted her head. "Merlin's beard, woman. I thought you were the smart one. You honestly don't know?"

"Know what?"

  
"It seriously _never_ occurred to you that the reason I've been pushing you away is that I was afraid?"

  
Luna sniffed. "Afraid of what?"

  
The words rushed out before he could stop himself. "Oh, I don't know. Afraid that I wasn't good enough for you? Afraid of never living up to memory of the sainted Rolf Scamander? Afraid you'd tell me what you really thought of a filthy former Death Eater? Afraid that you'd laugh in my face or worse, hex me into the next century?"   
  
He cupped her face in his hands and his voice grew hoarse. "Afraid that once I finally held you and tasted you that I'd never be able to stop?" He slowly lowered his face towards hers. "Because it turns out I was one hundred percent right about that one."  
  


Looking back they were never certain which of them closed the gap between them but that time when their lips met there was no turning back for either of them. The kisses which started soft and tender slowly grew deeper and hungrier until soon they were lost in an increasingly passionate embrace. It was only when Draco realized that his hands had made their way under her blouse and he felt her tugging at his belt that he forced himself away from her once again.   
  
"Wait. Stop," he panted.   
  
He grabbed her wrists and moved her hands up to his shoulders. "And before you get any more ludicrous notions about me not wanting you, let me assure you that is not the case. But when I make love to you for the first time it will _not_ be on the floor of a cold, dank cave. It will be in an actual bedroom, in an actual house, on a soft, comfortable bed covered with silk sheets in front of a roaring fire surrounded by candles and flowers and only AFTER I have done the respectable thing and taken you on a suitable number of dinner dates."   
  


Luna raised an eyebrow as she worked to catch her breath. "That sounds incredibly...specific, Draco. Given this much thought, have you?"  
  


Draco blushed slightly. "It may have crossed my mind several hundred times recently."  
  
"Well, in that case, before we proceed any further, may I ask you to clarify a few things?"  
  
  
Draco cleared his throat. "Such as?"  
  
"Such as whether your specific choice of words was deliberate."  
  
"Which words are in question, exactly?" inquired Draco.  
  
"You said 'when' we make love instead of 'if' - thereby implying you see this as an inevitable conclusion. You also said the 'first time' - leading me to believe that this is an event that you envisioned occurring more than once." She looked him in the eye and asked, "Is that the message you wished to convey or have I misunderstood?"  
  


_Oh, well_ , Draco thought, _I've gone this far_. _No use denying anything at this point_. He nodded and said, "That was indeed the meaning I was trying to get across."  
  
"All right then. Would it be okay if I requested a modification to the scenario you put forward?"

"Absolutely."  
  


"Good. Well the thing is, Draco...And, please, don't take this the wrong way but...." Draco's heart sank as he anticipated her polite rejection. "I'm truly sorry but...I don't like silk sheets. Or satin for that matter. Would it be all right if we opted for linen bedding instead?"

Draco blinked twice then managed to stammer, "Th-That's it?! Ch-changing the fabric of the sheets? That's the ONLY problem you have with everything I just said?"  
  


"Yes. Although I would like to make an additional request as well, if that's all right?"  
  
Draco couldn't get the words out fast enough. "Anything. Name it."  
  
"You mentioned taking me out to dinner and that does sound lovely, but can there also be a home cooked meal thrown in there as well? Now that I know how talented you are at preparing food on a campfire, I'd love to see what you could accomplish with a proper kitchen at your disposal."  
  


Draco exhaled an enormous sigh of relief and pulled her close. " _That_ can certainly be arranged. What would the lady like for her bespoke meal?"  
  


Luna nuzzled against his chest. "I don't know. Does _Chef_ Malfoy have a recommendation?"

"Hmmm...I think for an occasion of that nature we ought to go with something simple yet elegant. Italian perhaps? Good pasta, fine wine and for dessert..."

  
Luna's head popped up. "Pudding?"  
  


Draco laughed. "Of course! I was assuming you would prefer chocolate?"  
  


Luna nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please."  
  
Draco gathered her back into his arms. "Then the lady shall have as much chocolate pudding as her heart desires."  
  


They snuggled and snogged until Luna sat back and whispered, "Of course this is all just an exercise in wishful thinking if we can't find a way out of here."  
  


Draco kissed her softly and said, "I don't know about you but I now have yet another incredibly powerful incentive to ensure that we both make it out of here alive and well."  
  


"Me too," Luna smiled as she stood and reached her hand towards Draco. "All right, then. Let's get started. The sooner we find the scroll and get out of here, the sooner we can start the rest of our lives and I'm suddenly feeling a ravenous urge for pudding."  
  



	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**   
  


They set off once more - both feeling lighter and warmer than either had in a very long time. Draco was enjoying a renewed sense of optimism - until they came across the next obstacle in their path.  
  
  
Actually, in point of fact, the obstacle was the _lack_ of a path.  
  
The passage which they had been travelling on came to an abrupt stop, vanishing into an enormous cavern. The air around then shimmered with a soft glow which was just bright enough to illuminate a chasm of unknown depth. Across from them, on the far side of the abyss, they could make out what appeared to be a small grotto which seemed to be the source of the light.  
  
"My guess is that's where the scroll is," said Luna.  
  
"Then please tell me _that_ is not our only option to reach it," said Draco.  
  
He was looking at what might have been called a bridge, but only if one was overly generous with the term for an item that spanned a void and was constructed of wood and rope.   
  
  
The similarity ended there, however, as the few boards which remained atop the two bottom ropes looked worm eaten and rotten. Draco wouldn't have trusted any of them to hold a pygmy puff, much less the weight of a person. The vertical side ropes that connected the bottom span to the upper ropes (which constituted what could laughingly be considered railings) were frayed and, in Draco's opinion, appeared to possess the structural integrity of candy floss.   
  
"I believe that it is," said Luna.   
  
"No. No. It can't be. The only thing keeping this contraption from disintegrating to dust is if all of the termites infesting it are holding hands."  
  
"Maybe," said Luna, cocking her head to one side. "Unless...I wonder..."  
  
She dropped to the ground and eyed the bridge from a couple of different angles then leapt to her feet and grinned. "Oh...you are good...really good."  
  
Before Draco could stop her, Luna dashed past him onto what was left of the bridge, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there were no treads in place for the first three meters.  
  
"Luna! No!" Draco screamed, flailing wildly after her.  
  
"It's okay, Draco! Look!"  
  
Draco gaped in amazement as Luna appeared to be standing on thin air.  
  
"It's another glamour!" she cried excitedly. "The bridge is fine. It's just been enchanted to look old and decrepit."  
  
Draco hesitated then tentatively placed one foot onto the blank space where the first board ought to have been. Holding tightly to the upper rope he cautiously shifted his weight forward and was surprised to feel resistance. He slowly allowed his other foot to follow and breathed a sigh of relief when it held.  
  
"See? Safe as houses!" Luna skipped forward and hopped up and down to illustrate her point, which caused the entire span to bounce and sway wildly.  
  
"Luna! Could you...um...please, not do that?" squeaked Draco.  
  
"I'm sorry. Are you afraid of heights?" asked Luna.  
  
"When utilizing my levitation skills? No. On a broom? Absolutely not. Trusting an invisible bridge over a seemingly bottomless pit without my magic?" Draco swallowed hard. "I confess that I do find that territory a touch more...questionable."  
  
  
Luna nodded kindly, "That makes perfect sense, Draco. I promise that for the remainder of the crossing I'll do my best to keep the vibrations at a minimum."  
  
Draco trained his eyes on Luna and was able to make it the rest if the way across without looking down. When he reached the other side he leaned against the wall, wiped a thin sheet of sweat from his forehead and muttered, "Show off."  
  
"You okay?" asked Luna.  
  
"Sure. Fine," wheezed Draco. "Piece of cake, remember?"  
  
Luna kissed him on the cheek then glanced around small recess carved within the rock face. Set into the far wall was an alcove, inside of which sat a marble pedestal. Bolted to the pedestal was a cylindrical shaped mechanism, constructed of intricately woven strands of fine silver that left barely enough open spacing to reveal an ancient scroll locked inside. The light which had illuminated the cavern seemed to radiate from the device itself casting a warm glow around them.  
  
They both moved towards it. "The scroll," said Luna in a reverential hush.  
  
Draco inspected it closely while being careful not to touch it. "I don't see a lock or any obvious way of opening it and we don't have the sort of tools that would be necessary to unbolt it from the base."  
  
"My guess is this inscription gives instructions on how to proceed but unfortunately they aren't like any runes I'm familiar with," said Luna, pointing at the markings engraved on the pedestal.  
  
Draco peered at them closely. "You know, it almost looks like..."   
  
"What? What is it?" asked Luna.  
  
"Mother made me take piano lessons for a few years when I was a child. One of my instructors insisted all his students learn music theory and history as well. I don't think these are runes at all. I think this is an ancient form of musical notation."  
  
"You mean like notes to a song?"  
  
"I believe so," said Draco.  
  
"What does it sound like?"  
  
Draco made a face. "It's been a long time and I never claimed to have perfect pitch but I think it's something like..." He closed his eyes and began to hum softly.  
  
He heard a slight gasp and opened his eyes to find Luna trying to hold back tears. Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Damn. Is my voice that bad?"  
  
"Your voice is lovely, Draco. It's just...I know that song." Luna reached into her bag and produced one of the Flamel journals.  
  
"I don't recall any songs among Flamel's field notes," said Draco.  
  
"That's because it isn't part of his field notes," said Luna. "It's part of the inscription in his personal diary."  
  
She flipped to the front and pulled back the leather flap to reveal a handwritten notation on the inside cover. "I recognized the tune because Newt used to sing it to the bowtruckles every night before he went to bed. Rolf used to tease that it needed new lyrics since it all sounded like nonsense to us but Newt said Nicolas had taught him the song and he had no intentions of changing it."  
  
She quickly scanned the words then began to sing in a delicate soprano voice. As she did so the fastenings gave way one by one until the scroll was finally revealed. Draco gingerly lifted it from its place in the alcove. He paused and after assuring himself that the walls weren't going disintegrate on top of them, he slowly unrolled the top part of the aged parchment.  
  
"Well... what does it say?" asked Luna.   
  
"It....it's amazing," whispered Draco as he skimmed the scroll's contents. "I mean it will take time to work out the translation but it seems this is not only authentic but it looks to contain more information than we ever imagined. Why, there must be dozens of feet of writing here. This...this could revolutionize the way we think of alchemy - and who knows what else - forever."  
  
He rolled the scroll back up and kissed Luna firmly. "You were right all along, love. You did it."  
  
"No. _We_ did it." Luna beamed as she kissed him back. 

  
"Well, _we_ can start sifting through all of it as soon as we get outside. For now let's just get the hell out of here," Draco said. He went to start across the bridge but before he could take the first step Luna grabbed his arm and yanked him back.  
  
"Stop! We can't go that way."  
  
"What do you mean we can't go that way? Like you said before, this is the only option," said Draco.  
  
  
"I know but look. Here on the ground." Luna pointed towards some runes carved into the floor at the edge of the opening that they had missed earlier. "It's a warning about not using the bridge a second time."  
  
"What does it say will happen if we try it?"  
  


"Something bad."

  
"And that would be...?" asked Draco.

  
"It doesn't specify. It just says, 'something bad.'"

  
" _Something bad_? Seriously?" Draco groaned in frustration. "Would it have killed them to have been _slightly_ more precise with their warnings? I swear, Luna, if I ever acquire a time turner I will be sorely tempted to go back in history and smack these people senseless."   
  


Luna ran her finger lightly back and forth along the carving then said, "I have an idea."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you trust me?" Luna asked.

  
Draco answered without hesitation. "Absolutely."

  
"Then why do you look so pale?"  
  


"And here I thought you'd been paying attention all this time. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm always pale," Draco teased as he kissed the tip of her nose. "I won't lie and say that I'm not nervous about whatever you've got in mind, but you haven't steered me wrong yet, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood. So tell me. What do you think we should do?"  
  


"Sever the bridge ropes."  
  


Draco did a double take. "Excuse me?"  
  


"The best I can tell these runes talk about letting go and trusting in faith," said Luna. "I believe if we eliminate the obvious means of escape then the real exit will reveal itself."   
  


"And you're sure about this?"

  
"Sure? No. But does it feel right in my heart? Yes."

  
"And if this doesn't work?" asked Draco.

  
"Then we're stuck here."

  
"Forever?"  
  


"Most likely," admitted Luna.

  
Draco placed his hand lightly on her cheek. "Together?"

  
"Yes," said Luna.

  
"Good enough for me." Without another question, Draco pulled out his pocket knife, dropped to his knees and began cutting through the ropes.

  
He made quick work of the supports and the pair watched as their only visible means of returning home fell away into the darkness. Seeing the look of concern on her face, Draco wrapped her in his arms. "It'll be fine. Together, remember?"  
  
Luna nodded, "Together."  
  
As they stood on the brink of the precipice they gradually noticed the light around them growing brighter then watched as the alcove which had housed the scroll slowly dissolved into dust, collapsing in on itself to reveal a hidden staircase leading upwards.   
  
Draco lifted Luna off her feet and swung her around. "Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood - you are, without question, the most brilliant witch of all time!"   
  
Luna giggled as she kissed him then proclaimed, "Come on, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. Let's go home."

  
It took the better part of an hour but they eventually spotted sunlight and made the final stretch up the steps in record time. They climbed out through a small opening in the ground at the edge of clearing ringed by ancient fir trees. They lay there, gasping with exhaustion until Luna hesitantly stood and pulled her back-up wand from her pocket.   
  
She looked anxiously at Draco and said, "Moment of truth, I suppose?"

  
Before she could try anything Draco stopped her. He kissed her gently and said, "Whatever happens, it's going to be fine. If this works or doesn't work, we'll be okay. You're all the magic I need, understand?"  
  
  
"Me too." Luna took a deep breath then cast the summoning spell for her belongings. After the longest twenty seconds of her life she was thrilled to spot her rucksack flying towards her.   
  
She retrieved her original wand from the bag and gave it a hug. "Hello, dear friend. I shall make it a point to express my appreciation to you much more frequently from now on."  
  
She smiled at Draco and said, "Your turn."  
  
Draco turned his new wand over apprehensively in his hand, closed his eyes tightly and concentrated.  
  
"Accio, backpack."  
  
He felt the familiar warmth and tingle of magic begin to stir within him but he kept his eyes shut, afraid of what he might (or might not) see if he opened them until he heard Luna cry, "There it is!"   
  
Draco almost wept to see his belongings appearing just as Luna's had. He exhaled sharply then the pair fell into each other's arms, relief and fatigue sweeping over them like a wave.  
  
"Luna?" Draco sighed. "If it's all the same to you, could we stay here tonight? I'm too tired to walk another step."  
  
"I think that's a splendid idea," agreed Luna. "As a matter of fact, I vote that we take a nap before even messing with the tents at all."  
  
"Sounds perfect," said Draco sleepily, as they sank together onto the soft ground and leaned against the trunk of the nearest tree. "Rest for a while and then we'll figure out the way home."  
  
They curled up next each other and the last thing Luna said before falling into a deep sleep was, "Home...."  
  
  
They slept straight through the night under the watchful eye of the bowtruckles and the following morning, Luna awoke first. She remained still for a moment, soaking in the fresh air, the soft grass and the warm sun. She then stretched lazily, rolled over and stifled a scream.   
  
Draco lay motionless beside her, his face flushed and glistening with sweat, his hair matted to his forehead. His breathing was shallow and labored but most frightening of all was the fact that his skin was now covered with the same distinctive pattern of green and purple lesions that haunted Luna's nightmares.  
  
  
He was infected with the pox.  
  



	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23  
**  
  
Luna's choked cry caused Draco's eyelids to flutter open. The aching pain in his body and the terrified look on her face told him all he needed to know.  
  
"Go," he gasped in a dry, raspy voice. "Leave. Run. Save yourself. Now. Take the scroll. There's still a chance you haven't been infected."

  
"I'm not leaving you."   
  


" _GO_ ," he pleaded. "If you stay you'll get sick too and then it was all for nothing."  
  
"Rubbish. I'm staying right here. I'll find a way to send for help and..."  
  
"Luna, I'm begging you. Please," Draco said weakly. "I've screwed up so many things in my life. Give me this. Let me die knowing I did something right, that I kept you safe. Please, love, if nothing else - let me have that."  
  
"Don't be daft. I'm not going anywhere," insisted Luna, frantically rummaging through her pack. She was summoning a canteen of water when Draco's eyes began rolling back in his head.  
  
The last clear memory Draco had before the darkness overtook him was the sound of Luna shouting his name and the overwhelming regret that he hadn't told her how very much he loved her.   
  
  
xoxoxo  
  
  
He had no idea how long he was unconscious. There was only shadow and sweats and chills and throbbing and dizziness and thirst. Sometimes, however, he thought he could hear Luna's voice through the haze, calling out as if from a great distance.

Sometimes it was assuring. " _You'll be fine. Come on. Drink this. It will help_."  
  
  
Sometimes it was pleading. " _Please, Draco. Please, don't leave me. Please. I can't lose you too._ "  
  
  
Sometimes it was threatening. " _Damn it, Malfoy Draco Malfoy! We swore an oath to do this together so you better not bloody well back out on me now so fight, damn you! Fight!_ " 

The tone and words might have varied but the voice was the same - always there, always comforting, always challenging, always Luna.

  
Eventually the fog began to lift and he became vaguely aware of a cold compress on his forehead and delicate fingers running through his hair. His eyes slowly opened and once his vision cleared he saw Luna hovering over him, dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion written all over her face.  
  
"Welcome back, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Where am I? What's going on? Why are you still here?"  
  
"Shh....Settle down. It's okay. You're going to be fine," Luna assured him.

  
"No. You need to leave. I'm infected. I'm...."  
  
"You _were_ infected. You aren't any more," said Luna.  
  
"What? How?"  
  
"Did you forget why we came here in the first place? It seems that scroll is the genuine article. The cure for the pox was inside and it works," Luna sniffed. "You are going to be fine, you hear me?"  
  


"You should have left," Draco insisted. "You put yourself at risk staying here."  


"Not a chance. I wasn't about to sit back while another man that I love died alone and without me. Like we said, we started this together so we were going to finish it together - one way or another."   
  


Draco weakly reached up to caress her cheek. "You love me?"  
  


"Of course, silly," said Luna, leaning into his touch. "I was fairly certain we had already established that fact. Merlin's beard, I thought you were the smart one." She bit her lip nervously then asked, "Are you angry with me?"  
  


"Angry? Whatever for?"  
  


"I did test an experimental potion on you without your permission," said Luna.  
  


"You saved my life, Luna."  
  


"So you don't hate me?"  
  


"Hate you? Woman, I've been in love with you ever since you stared down that bloody dragon. I just never thought you'd..." Draco coughed violently and Luna placed a glass up to his dry, cracked lips. As he took a sip of water, he thought he heard something outside.  
  


"W-what's that noise?"  
  


"Charlie has an extraction team outside. They're getting ready to move us but it will be easier if you drink this first," Luna said, producing a small vial from her pocket.  
  


"Charlie? How did he...?"  
  


"Shhh....It's okay. Drink this and I'll explain it all later."  
  


"What is it?"  
  


"A potion to help you sleep while we travel. When you wake up, we'll be home."  
  


"And you'll be there?"  
  


Luna smiled warmly. "Right by your side. I promise."  
  


Draco downed the potion and the last thing he was aware of was her lips pressing gently against his forehead as he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.  
  



	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**  
  


The next thing Draco was aware of was a bright, white light. He squinted against it and waited for his vision to come back into focus. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before he realized he was in St. Mungo's. He turned his head to one side and panicked when he saw Luna lying in a bed opposite him. Thinking she was ill he began struggling to get out of bed but was stopped by Hermione Granger.  
  


"Relax, Malfoy. She's fine, just worn out. She hadn't taken a break since you arrived so finally I slipped a sleeping draught into her tea. I left her in here because I knew she would have a fit if she woke up and couldn't see you."  
  


"She's okay?" asked Draco anxiously.  
  


"She will be once she gets some rest. We were honestly shocked that she hadn't collapsed already. Between checking on you, overseeing production of the potion and arguing with the staff...."  
  
  


"Arguing? Luna? About what?"  
  


"About you." Seeing the look of confusion on his face Hermione explained, "When they first brought you in a young healer made the mistake of trying to bar Luna from your room because she wasn't 'family'." Hermione shook her head. "Let's just say _that_ didn't go over very well. Between the dressing down the healer received from Luna and Charlie I don't think the poor woman will ever fully recover."  
  


"Charlie? Charlie Weasley?"  
  


"In fairness it wasn't just Charlie. The whole Weasley clan was in an uproar. If the healer hadn't changed her position there would have been a riot in the waiting room."  
  


Draco was now utterly lost. "What? Why?"  
  


"Because of the life debt."  
  


"What?"  
  


"As soon as she knew you were okay, Luna enlisted as many healers and potion masters as possible to get started on producing the elixir with the provision that the first dose was given to Molly Weasley."

  
"Molly? When did she take ill?"  
  


"The day before you got back," Hermione said.  
  


"Is she okay?" Draco asked.  
  


"She is now, thanks to you and Luna. She'll need to rest for a while but all indications are that she will be right as rain."   
  
An insect buzzed past and Hermione grabbed it, inspected it closely then released it. "Sorry. Wanted to make sure it wasn't Rita Skeeter in disguise. The press has been desperate to get in here. The two of you are quite the talk of the wizarding world right now."  
  


"Why?"  
  


The dark haired witch laughed. "Why? Didn't you hear me? It works. The bloody cure. The pair of you are being hailed as heroes. As soon as you are well enough the Minister himself is holding a gala in your honor. People are falling over themselves for an invitation."  
  


Draco nodded distractedly but kept his eyes focused on Luna. "She's fine, though, right? You're sure she hasn't taken ill?"  
  


Hermione studied his face then softened her tone. "Yes, Malfoy. I promise. All of her tests came back negative and I placed a dose of the potion in her tea along with the sleeping draught to be sure. She just needed sleep." Watching him slump back in relief, she asked, "What happened out there, anyway?"  
  


"It's a long story, Granger. The important thing is that you can _swear_ to me she's not sick?"  
  


"I _swear_ , Malfoy. Other than running herself ragged she is perfectly fine. The truth is she has been driving us all a bit batty. Why she even..."  
  


Without opening her eyes, Luna spoke up from the other bed. "You know that SHE can hear you, right?"  
  


Hermione whipped around, blushing brightly. She stammered briefly then darted out the door to track down a healer.  
  


Luna turned her head to look at Draco. "Was that mean?"  
  


"A bit..." Draco tried to appear stern but failed miserably and they both dissolved in laughter.  
  


Luna stood and made her way to his bedside. "How are you feeling?"  
  


"Better now, thanks to you. How are _you_ feeling?"  
  


"Better, now." Luna's voice hitched and a tear made its way down her face.  
  


Draco grew alarmed and fought to sit up. "Luna? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Granger said you were okay."  
  


Luna managed to get out the words, "Three days."  
  


"What?"  
  


"Three days. That's how long you were unconscious after you passed out. It took a full day for me to locate the instructions for the potion in the scroll and properly translate it. It took another day to correctly brew the first batch and another for it to work its way through your system. Three days I thought you were going to die on me. Three. Bloody. Days." She choked back a sob.  
  


Draco recalled the times he had seen her injured during their journey. Thinking she was hurt for a few minutes had been excruciating. He couldn't imagine watching her like that for days. He pulled her next to him and whispered, "Oh, Luna. I'm so sorry but it's okay. I'm here, thanks to you."

  
He kissed her cheek and asked, "How long have I been at St. Mungo's?"  
  


"We arrived late yesterday morning. The healers thought it was best to keep you sedated a while longer to allow your system to recover from the effects of the pox and the transport."  
  


"How did we get here?"  
  


"Charlie's team flew us across the border to a safe haven in Hungary. From there we took a portkey to the preserve and then another portkey to directly to the hospital. Took less than a day to get home once his team found us."  
  


"But how did they know where to look for us?" asked Draco.  
  


"We had some assistance," said Luna.  
  


"What kind of assistance?"  
  


Luna reached into her pocket and pulled out the butter beer necklace. It took Draco a moment realize the significance. "You mean the elves..." She nodded. "But how..."  
  


"I cast a patronus with a message for Charlie but in the state I was in I wasn't sure how far it would travel so I enlisted the bowtruckles as back up. I sent a message with them, along with your pocket watch, to the wood elves. Once they realized what was happening they dispatched two groups - one to find us and the other to make sure Charlie was aware of the situation. I modified your locator spell so all they had to do was use the watch as a sort of compass. They found us pretty quickly and were able to provide Charlie and his team with our exact location."  
  


"But both of those places are outside the realm of the elves."  
  


"I suppose they decided that _Lord Malfoy_ was worth making an exception for."  
  


Draco took her hand. "I am certain it was more for you than it was for me."  
  


Luna gestured towards necklace. "Be that as it may, the prince insisted upon being part of the operation. Once they reached us he even named himself my personal guardian."   
  


Draco's eyes narrowed at the mention of Luna's attacker. "Are you okay? He didn't..."  
  


"He was a perfect gentleman. I think he wanted to impress his father as well as wiping the slate clean between us." She smiled. "He performed his duties most admirably. No one was allowed within five feet of me without my consent as well as his express permission - not even Charlie."  
  


Draco kissed her fingers. "If he kept you safe, then I shall send him my thanks as well as a substantial reward."  
  


"I'm sure your good word alone would mean the world to him."  
  


Draco fidgeted slightly, cleared his throat and said, "So....Not sure how much you heard earlier but according to Granger we are expected to attend a public event in the near future."  
  


"So I gather."  
  


Draco fixed his eyes at a spot on the bed just past where Luna was sitting. "I was wondering...I mean...I didn't want to assume...but, uh, may I have the honor of being your escort that evening?"  
  


Luna kissed him gently. "The answer to that question is a definite yes."  


"Really?"  
  


"Of course. I shall count it as one of the dinners you've promised me."  
  


Draco's eyes sparkled. "So, you're still willing..."  
  


"Absolutely." She pushed him back and climbed onto the bed next to him. "But in the meantime, you need to rest and regain your strength, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. If a man invites me to a party then I expect there to be dancing."  
  


Draco wrapped his arm around her waist, buried his face in her hair and whispered, "As you wish, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25  
  
**

The healers released Draco early the next day and provided a private floo connection so he and Luna could leave St. Mungo's without having to endure the hordes of press camped outside the hospital.

  
They appeared in the sitting room of Draco's country home and were immediately set upon by Mitzi the house elf. "Master is home! Master is home!" The excited elf jumped up and down before throwing herself into Draco's arms.  
  
  
"Hello, Mitzi," laughed Draco. "Good to see you too." He set the little creature down and turned to Luna. "Mitzi, I'd like to introduce..."  
  
"Mitzi knows Missy Luna! Missy Luna and Mitzi are friends!" Mitzi exclaimed, twirling in happy circles.  
  
"But how do you know..." Draco started to ask but Mitzi cut him off.  
  
"Missy Luna contact Mitzi as soon as Master arrive at the hospital. She send many messages so Mitzi know Master is okay and she even made the mean lady at St. Mungo's let Mitzi in to see Master while he was sleeping!"  
  
Draco looked at Luna who smiled and said, "I didn't want her to read any of Rita Skeeter's gross exaggerations and be worried about you."  
  
Mitzi turned up her nose at the mention of the reporter from the Prophet. "Puh! Nasty Skeeter woman and some other presses came by a few times while Master was on his journey. Mitzi finally cast many house elf wards around the property. No yucky reportsers come back since." The elf reinforced that thought with a firm nod.  
  
"Excellent work, Mitzi, as always!" Draco patted her on the head proudly. "I'm glad the two of you have already become acquainted because you are going to be seeing a lot more of Luna."   
  
"Yeah!" Mitzi danced around then whispered loudly, "Missy Luna! I have the Master's surprise in the library. Is it time now?"  
  
"Hold on. Surprise? What surprise? What are the pair of you up to?" asked Draco.  
  
"I think now would be an excellent time for the surprise, Mitzi," Luna said before turning to Draco. "But first, you need to close your eyes."  
  
Draco looked a touch suspicious but complied.  
  
"Now cover them," said Luna.  
  
"What are you..."  
  
"Cover them," repeated Luna firmly.  
  
"Oooo, bossy. I like it," teased Draco.  
  
"Behave, Draco," chided Luna softly as she took his arm and guided him along. He could hear Mitzi giggling and opening a door then felt himself being led into another room. He was getting ready to ask another question when a familiar scent of lavender and jasmine stopped him in his tracks.  
  
Suddenly Luna's voice was next to his ear, whispering, "Open your eyes."  
  
Draco's hands dropped from his face and he momentarily froze before bursting into tears at the sight in front of him.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
He rushed across the room and into the waiting arms of Narcissa Malfoy.  
  
Mother and son clung to each other until Draco became aware of a sobbing noise behind him. He turned to see Mitzi clasped onto Luna's leg, crying her eyes out. Luna was attempting to comfort the elf while at the same time dabbing her own eyes with a tissue.  
  
Draco laughed through his tears and tried to regain his composure. "Sweet Circe! Are we a picture or what?" Wiping his face with the back of his hand, he gestured to Luna. "Right. Okay. I believe proper introductions are in order. Mother, I would very much like you to meet..."  
  
Before he could finish Narcissa stunned Draco by pushing past him and wrapping Luna in a fierce embrace.   
  
Draco was dumbfounded. His mother was many things, but an overly demonstrative person was certainly not one of them. He was even more surprised when Narcissa began kissing Luna's cheeks, repeating the words, "Thank you" over and over again.  
  
When his mother finally took a breath, Luna clasped the woman's hands in her own and said, "It is I who ought to be thanking _you_ , Mrs. Malfoy. I sent you a letter after the war. I don't know if it ever reached you but..."  
  
Luna stopped when Narcissa produced a tattered envelope from her pocket and pulled out an obviously well worn piece of paper. The older woman beamed. "I received this just before being exiled. I have read it many times since and it has always provided me with a great sense of hope. I thought if a young girl who was treated so cruelly in my own home could forgive me then perhaps one day others could see me as something more than just the wife and sister of a Death Eater."  
  
Draco's mother glanced at him with tears in her eyes then turned her attention back to Luna. "Then to learn that this same girl saved the life of my son? I cannot even begin to express indebted I am to you, my dear."  
  
Luna shook her head. "You don't owe me anything. Your son saved my life many times as well. I'm simply honored to have played some small part in reuniting the two of you."  
  
"I hardly think your part in all of this has been 'small', my dear.," sniffed Narcissa. "As a matter of fact, I got the distinct impression from Kingsley that my being here today is almost entirely your doing."  
  
"It was!" exclaimed Mitzi. "I hear Dragon Weezy tell Miss Andromeda all about it this morning."  
  
"Dragon Weezy?" Draco looked confused then laughed when he realized Mitzi was talking about Charlie.  
  
"Yes! He tell Miss Andromeda all about how Missy Luna get angry when she find out Mistress Narcissa was tied up in scarlet rope."  
  
Luna giggled at the look on Draco's face and translated, "I believe she means that your mother's case was tied up in 'red tape'."  
  
"Ah...got it. Thank you for clarifying that..." said Draco. He turned back to the elf and said, "Please, Mitzi, tell us more of what 'Dragon Weezy' had to say."  
  
Mitzi, thrilled to be the center of attention, hopped onto a small table, smoothed out the folds of her little blue dress and began acting out the scene she was describing. "Missy Luna say that Mistress Narcissa's exile need to be lifted right away so she could see for herself that Master is okay. But someone at the Ministry say that more papers need to be signed first so Missy Luna floo to the Ministry, march down the hall, barge into Mister Kingsey's office and tell him to get Master's mother here in a hurry or else!"   
  
Mitzi punctuated that last point with a scowl on her face and a firm stamp of her foot.  
  


Draco looked at Luna with eyes wide. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "First off, I wouldn't go so far as to say that I 'barged in'. I suppose you could say that I walked purposefully and entered without asking. Then I simply told Kingsley that he needed to allow Narcissa access to her son immediately per the agreement you signed prior to leaving on the expedition or I would be forced to take matters into my own hands."

  
Draco's eyebrows continued to rise. "Wait. You mean to tell me that you _threatened_ the Minister of Magic?"  
  
"I wouldn't call it a threat. It was more of a...promise," said Luna.

  
"A promise to...?"  
  


"To get his mother involved."  
  
  
At this point Draco's eyebrows were in danger of leaving his face altogether. "You threatened to call Shacklebolt's mother?!"  
  
"Again, it wasn't a threat, Draco, and besides, I didn't _need_ to call her.....I brought her along with me. She was waiting in the hall."   
  
Seeing the expressions on both Draco and Narcissa's faces Luna explained, "It seemed like the logical thing to do. I thought it would take someone who truly understand what that might feel like to explain to Kingsley the importance of a parent seeing their child under these circumstances. Who better than his own mother to convey that message in a way he would best understand?"  
  
"And what, exactly, did his mother say to him?" asked Draco.  
  
"I don't know. I left the room while they chatted but whatever she said must have worked. They had your Mother's paperwork sorted within the hour. Once they assured Narcissa that you were okay, she made the decision to meet with you here instead of the hospital so there would be less chance of the press intruding on your privacy."  
  
Draco stared in amazement before crossing the room in two quick steps and sweeping Luna into a passionate kiss, only pulling back when the need for oxygen forced him. He was irrationally pleased with himself when he saw that his action had momentarily rendered Luna speechless.  
  
He brushed his fingers over her cheek. "You did all that for me?"  
  
Luna finally caught her breath enough to answer, "Of course. Your mother's freedom of travel was part of the agreement you signed."  
  
Draco fought to contain the emotion in his voice. "You do know that, for me, this stopped being about the agreement a long time ago, right?"  
  
"I know. That doesn't mean the terms in regards to you and your mother shouldn't be honored." Luna collected herself enough to kiss him quickly then added, "Speaking of your mother, it's been far too long since you two have talked in person, so I'm going to leave and let you catch up. I will see you later."  
  
Draco held on to her arm. "Please don't leave yet. I really need to speak with you some more before you go home, okay?"  
  
"As you wish, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. You have your visit and in the meantime I'll ask Mitzi to give me a tour of the gardens." Luna turned to Narcissa and said, "It was very nice to properly make your acquaintance, Mrs. Malfoy. I hope we can talk again sometime?"  
  
  
"Please, call me Narcissa and yes, I would like that very much, Luna."   
  
Luna made her way out of the room and as soon as the door closed behind her, Narcissa chuckled and said, "Bringing in the Minister's mother as leverage? Are you sure that girl isn't a Slytherin?"  
  


Draco shook his head. "Regardless of what some silly hat might say, Mother, one thing I can promise you with complete certainty is that Luna absolutely defies _any_ sort of categorization."  
  
"Well, I don't have to ask if you love her or if the feeling is mutual. Even before that kiss your feelings for each other were written all over your faces." Narcissa smiled then asked, "So, will you be needing access to the vaults to select a ring or are you going to be terribly romantic and design one of your own?"  
  
Draco gave her a sheepish look and his mother snorted, "Sweet Merlin. You've already had one made, haven't you?"  
  
"I may have owled a jeweler last night with a design," admitted Draco.  
  
"When do you plan on proposing to her?" Narcissa asked.  
  
"Soon enough but I want to try and court her properly first. In the past, people haven't always treated Luna with kindness or respect. I want her to know that she deserves the effort."  
  
Tears filled Narcissa's eyes causing Draco to blush. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong, little dragon. It's just a special moment when a mother sees her child truly in love for the first time." The woman motioned for Draco to take a seat. "Now, we have a lot of catching up to do. I heard a brief outline of your adventure from the Minister but there has been an unholy amount of speculation and conjecture in the press. Please - sort out the fact from fiction for me."  
  
  
Mother and son sat and talked for a long time, with Draco recounting the highlights of his and Luna's journey and Narcissa filling him in on her time in Switzerland.  
  
"Other than being separated from you, I find that I actually prefer my life there. For the most part, people tend to leave me alone and I've even made some new friends inside the European magical community. Andromeda has been allowed to visit more recently and she sometimes brings little Teddy along with her. He reminds me of you at that age - talented _and_ precocious."  
  
"So no chance of you moving back to Britain then?" asked Draco.  
  
"No, at least not at the present. Too many eyes would be on me, I think. But the Ministry has granted approval for an international connection for our floos so we can visit as often as you would like." She gave a sly grin and added, "I promise to send word through first before popping in so I don't barge in on anything a mother ought not see."  
  
"Thank you, Mother. That will be..uh...most appreciated." Draco flushed and ducked his head then said, "But while you are here I hope you will at least stay for dinner tonight?"  
  
Before she could answer, Mitzi stuck her head inside and said, "Master Draco? Sorry to interrupt but it's about Missy Luna."  
  
Narcissa marveled at the speed at which Draco was out of his chair. "Luna? What's wrong? Is she okay?"  
  
"Missy Luna is fine," assured Mitzi, "but she fall asleep on the ground under the rhododendron. I put a blanket over her but now Mitzi's ears are starting to itch which means it will rain soon but Missy Luna seem so peaceful that I wasn't sure if I should wake her up or levitate her inside instead."  
  
"Don't bother waking her, Mitzi. She needs the rest more than any of use. If you'll go and prepare the guest room then I'll fetch her."  
  
While Mitzi scurried off to take care of the accommodations, Draco and Narcissa walked into the back garden where they found Luna sleeping peacefully under one of the massive rhododendrons. To Draco's amusement curled up alongside her were a pair of young garden gnomes that had made themselves at home in the folds of her robe.  
  
Knowing that Luna would be fond of the little creatures, instead of hurling them over the wall Draco nudged them gently with the toe of his shoe then bent down and said softly, "Okay, you two. Nap times over. I'm bringing her inside now so scram."  
  


The gnomes huffed indignantly but scampered off without making too much of a fuss. Draco wandlessly levitated Luna off the ground just high enough to loop his arms under her. He started back to the house and when he reached the back door he simply spoke the incantation causing it to open smoothly and quietly.  
  
Narcissa looked most impressed. "When did you become so proficient in wandless magic, Draco?"  
  
"I wouldn't call myself proficient yet," said Draco. "Luna's the real master. Compared to her I'm an amateur. You should see what she's able to accomplish - especially when dragons are involved."  
  
"One shudders to think," smiled Narcissa. "It seems I can take great comfort in the knowledge that such a kind and powerful witch is looking after my son."  
  
  
Luna shifted in his arms and murmured something drowsily under her breath. Draco whispered, "Yes, love. You're right. We do. Now go back to sleep, okay?"  
  
As Luna nuzzled into his chest, Narcissa quietly asked, "What did she say?"  
  
"She said that we look after each other," said Draco, pushing open the door to the guest room. He levitated the blankets off the bed just enough to slip Luna underneath then tucked her in snugly and crept out of the room.  
  
"So, it looks like it will just be the two of us for dinner tonight."  
  
"No. Dinner can wait until another day. You and Luna still need time to rest and recuperate from all that you've been through." Narcissa turned her son back towards the guest room and gave him a gentle but firm shove. "So get in there and get some sleep yourself. You can come to my home for dinner in a day or two."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. Thanks to you and Luna, we can visit each other whenever we'd like. Besides, you haven't yet seen where I live. I think you'll quite like it."  
  
"May I bring Luna with me?"  
  
Narcissa leaned in and gave her son a kiss on the cheek.   
  
"Oh, don't even think about trying to get in to see me without her, little dragon."  
  



	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26  
  
** Draco awoke the next morning in the same spot he had fallen asleep - on top of the blankets curled up next to Luna in the guest room.  
  
He sat and watched her until she stretched and opened her eyes. Seeing him next to her she smiled and asked, "What time is it?"  
  
"A little after seven in the morning."  
  
"Oh, no! Have I missed your mother?"  
  
"She went home yesterday evening but we've been invited to her house for dinner in a day or two."  
  
"Dinner?" smiled Luna.  
  
"Yes. Dinner. Just one of many, if you are still amenable to that proposition."  
  
"I am more than amenable," said Luna. "I just wanted to make sure that the same still held for you. It's one thing when I was the only woman within a hundred miles. Now we're back in the real world, where there are many women who will want to..have dinner with you."  
  
"I'd feel the same about you no matter how many women were within a hundred miles of me. What in the world brought this on?"  
  
Luna summoned her bag and pulled out the most recent edition of Witch Weekly magazine. "I found this in the waiting room at the hospital."  
  
Splashed across the cover was a large picture of Draco. By the looks of his suit and the brooding expression on his face he assumed it had been taken at one of his parole hearings. The headline proclaimed, "Draco Malfoy - The Wizarding World's Most Eligible Bachelor!" A smaller inset showed a picture of Draco and Pansy at the Yule Ball with the tagline "What It's Like to Date Draco!"  
  


Draco snorted before flinging the magazine into the fireplace and incinerating it with his wand. "First off, I won't even dignify Pansy's desperate grab for attention with a comment. Secondly, they're wrong. I am not eligible - I am very much taken. My heart belongs to the beautiful blonde witch next to me. And finally, I am a bachelor in only the strictest definition of the word as I am not married - yet."

  
"However, since we are on the subject, I think it is high time for me to fully declare my intentions." He took Luna's hand and stated in a firm voice, "Let me be perfectly clear. I'm not with you because of any agreement I may have signed. I'm not with you because I'm lonely or simply feel a need for female companionship. I'm not in this for the short term or to simply get you into my bed - although I will confess that last part is indeed on my wish list. The truth of the matter is that I am completely and utterly in love with you, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood and my ultimate goal is quite specific - to add six more letters to that already ridiculously long name of yours."   
  
He paused then added, "That's Malfoy, by the way. The six letters I mean. In case there's any question."  
  
"Thank you for clearing that up," Luna said. "The only other six letter last name I know is 'Potter' and if you were suggesting I marry Harry that would make outings with Ginny very awkward."  
  
Draco shuddered and made a face. "Please let me assure you that I am not suggesting anything of the sort with you and _Potter_."  
  
  
Luna began to say something else but Draco placed a finger on her lips. "I'm not officially proposing right now, mind you. I fully intend to do this in a time honored and respectable manner. I know it may not be considered fashionable but I want to give you the one thing I feel you have been denied in your lifetime - a proper courtship."  
  
"Draco, you don't have to prove anything to me."

  
"Fine. Then allow me to prove it to myself."

  
Luna gave this some thought then said, "On one condition."

  
"Which is?"

  
"That you count the weeks we spent searching for the scroll as 'time served' in regards to this "proper courtship" of yours."

  
"Time served? You make it sound like a punishment," Draco laughed. "Fine. If spending time with you is a sentence then I demand life without possibility of parole."

Seeing a trace of lingering doubt in her eyes, Draco kissed her and said, "Oh, Luna, I wish there was a spell I could cast or a potion I could brew that would allow you to see yourself the way that I see you."

  
Luna bit her lip and asked, "What do you see?"

  
"What do I see?" Draco cradled her face in his hands and said, "I see a woman who is stronger and smarter and braver than any person I've ever known and whose beauty never ceases to take my breath away. I see a woman whose heart is incredibly full and open and whose very being emanates love and light. I see a woman whose hair seems to be spun out of silk and moonbeams. I see a woman whose incredible eyes peer inside people instead of focusing on their past or appearances. I see lips that captivated me even before the first time I tasted them and a smile that can light up the entire night sky. I see the woman who repeatedly and consistently haunts my dreams."   
  
He ran his fingers along her jaw. "There is a place on your neck - right here - that I find inexplicably fascinating." He nibbled that spot and she let a soft moan, causing his heart to race in response. "And don't even get me started on how you sound and smell and feel..."   
  
With a ragged breath he moved back slightly. "I would keep going but propriety constrains me so please take my word on the fact that I have very strong and favorable opinions regarding every square inch of you..."  
  


"Even the parts you haven't seen yet?" Luna teased.

  
"Especially the parts I haven't seen...yet." He waggled his eyebrows and propped himself up on one arm. "So it's completely understandable that I should be madly in love with you. The real mystery is why you would look twice at me. You are the one that should be the one trying to find a way out of this. I am utterly unworthy and there is no possible way for me to live up to the memory of your late husband..."   
  


Luna gripped the front of his shirt and gently reprimanded him. "Quit comparing yourself to Rolf. You aren't Rolf and he isn't you. I know that he would want me to be happy. And you make me incredibly happy."  
  
"Are you sure, Luna? Rolf was..." 

  
"Stop. Yes, Rolf was a wonderful man that I loved very much and he will always have a place in my heart. But _you_ are the man that I love now and you have your own place in my heart and while it is separate it is most definitely not second."   
  
Luna pushed him down onto the mattress and rested her head on his chest. "Draco, you understand me in ways that no one else every has or ever will and nothing or nobody will _ever_ change that."  
  


He stammered out a weak protest so Luna sat up and said, "Draco? Stop talking and kiss me properly, please."   
  
With a wicked glint in his eyes, Draco deftly flipped her onto her back and growled, "As you wish, my lady."  
  


He slowly dipped down and began kissing her passionately when they were cut short by a knock at the door.  
  
"Master! Master! Breakfast is ready. Shall I serve you and Missy Luna in there or in the sitting room?"  
  
With a frustrated groan Draco pushed himself up, hovered above Luna and rolled his eyes. "Why do I get the overwhelming feeling this won't be the last time she interrupts us like this?"  
  


Luna giggled and said, "Think of it as practice. I understand children do this to their parents all the time." Draco's eyes flew open and Luna blushed. "Sorry. Was that inappropriate? I didn't mean...Did I say the wrong thing?"  
  
Draco grinned like a mad man. "No! That's not inappropriate at all. I would love..." 

Mitzi called out again and Draco reluctantly rolled off the bed. "I would love for us to more fully explore that topic when we have more time and privacy..." He extended his hand to Luna. "In the meantime, let's get some breakfast before Mitzi breaks down the door and tries to force feed us."  
  


xoxox

In the weeks leading up to the gala Draco and Luna spent much of their time in each other's company, including dinners together almost every night. They went to a few restaurants but in effort to spare themselves the headache of the paparazzi, many of those meals were in the homes of family and friends, including a visit to the Burrow where both Draco and Luna were almost smothered to death by the hugs of Molly and Arthur as soon as they stepped through the floo.  
  
Through those shared evenings, Luna's friends began to realize that the initial reports they'd received from Hermione and Ginny were accurate - the pair were deeply in love and Draco was obviously determined to do whatever it took to make Luna happy - even if that meant spending time in the company of former antagonists and getting the piss taken out of him on a regular basis by Potter and the others.  
  


Even the likes of Neville were impressed when Luna informed them that not only had Draco matched her contribution to the families of the poachers who died but he had also authorized a sizable donation to Charlie's dragon preserve as well as establishing the Rolf Scamander Memorial Foundation - an organization with the express purpose of eliminating poaching, with a particular focus on the protection of dragons, erumpents and graphorns, with Luna as lead consultant and advisor.  
  
One of Draco's favorite evenings was one they spent with his Aunt and little Teddy. The young boy immediately took to Luna and over dessert announced that when he got older he intended to marry her, causing Draco to tickle the child and tease, "Oi! Back off, mate. Find your own girl."  
  
This sent Teddy into a pout until Luna assured him, "Teddy, I promise that if I'm not married by the time you graduate Hogwarts then we can revisit the issue."  
  


Later, as Draco helped Andromeda in the kitchen, his aunt said, "Teddy will graduate when he's seventeen. He's three now. That gives you fourteen years to propose to that girl." His aunt then handed him a plate and smiled, "Please tell me you don't intend to take that much time."  
  
"I'll admit that I've had many lapses of judgment in my life, Aunt Andromeda," laughed Draco, "But I can assure you that even I'm not stupid enough to wait that long."  
  
  



	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

  
One month after Draco was released from the hospital, the Minister threw a gala in honor of the Dragonpox solution with he and Luna as guests of honor.  
  
  
The evening of the event, Draco checked his reflection in the mirror and fussed with his dress robes for the umpteenth time before flooing to Luna's cottage to escort her to the ball. He stepped from fireplace and was met by Ginny Weasley.  
  
"Luna's putting on her jewelry. I came by to help with her hair and decided to stick around so I could see your first reaction before I left," smirked Ginny.  


Before he could respond, Draco heard a soft voice behind him say, "So - what do you think?"  
  
Draco turned and time seemed to slow down before grinding to a halt altogether.  
  
Luna stood before him wearing a full length, form fitting gown of crushed emerald velvet with a halter top that left her arms bare. Her hair was styled in an elaborate up do that accentuated her elegant neck, exposing more of her than Draco had ever seen outside of his dreams.   
  


He tried to form words but seemed to have momentarily lost the ability. Ginny looked incredibly pleased with herself and said, "Yes! That was exactly what I was going for."   
  
She waved at Luna. "Harry and I will see you both there. I'll make excuses if you happen to be...delayed." She turned to Draco and gave him a stern look, "Just don't muss her hair until after the party. I worked hard on that."   
  
The red head giggled happily as she disappeared through the floo, leaving Draco still frozen - mouth agape and eyes wide, giving him the appearance of a recently caught trout in a fishmonger's window.

  
Luna spun slowly to allow him full view of the dress. "Do you like it?" He caught sight of how much of her back was exposed and suddenly wanted nothing more than to run his fingertips across that uncovered bit of skin.   
  
Draco finally managed to speak. "Merlin's beard..."   
  
Luna nervously smoothed the dress. "Is it okay? I've never been to a formal affair like this, so I relied upon Ginny to advise me on what to wear."   
  
Draco silently took back any negative thoughts he'd ever entertained about Ginny Weasley. "It's stunning. Do we have to go out? Because I am blissfully happy right where I stand."   
  
Luna blushed and said, "There is a room full of people waiting on us at the Minister's house."   
  
"Bugger them."   
  
  
Luna extended her arm, now adorned with an elaborate bracelet fashioned in the shape of a dragon. "At least an appearance?"   
  
Draco gave a reluctant bow. "If the lady insists."  
  


As they entered the floo Luna placed her left hand on his forearm and for the first time Draco noticed that she had removed her wedding ring. He gave her a questioning look and she responded simply, "It was time."  
  
She then gestured towards the pot containing the floo powder. "Will you do the honors?"  
  
They flooed to the gala and as they stepped from the fireplace in the great hall of the Minister's residence, Draco spotted a bit of soot on Luna's cheek.  
  
He pointed to her face and said, "You have some..."  
  
"Blast," Luna sighed. "I didn't bring a mirror. Would you..."   
  
He produced a linen handkerchief from his pocket. "Do you mind?"   
  
She tipped her face up towards his. "Please."   
  
He gently wiped the cinder from her cheek. "There."   
  
"Am I acceptable now?" Luna asked.  
  
"More than," beamed Draco.  
  
Ginny Weasley edged towards them and whispered, "I hate to break up a moment but, if you hadn't noticed, you are surrounded by a crowd of people including press from all over the Wizarding World and everyone is staring at you."   
  
"Are they? Good." Draco looked at Luna with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "What do you think, love? If we're going to end up in the papers anyway, what say we give them something memorable to write about?"   
  
Luna slid her arms up his chest and around his neck. "Oh, I think that is a capital idea."   
  
Draco wrapped his hands around her waist, raised her slightly off her feet and kissed her soundly. Luna happily complied as the room exploded in flash bulbs and the paparazzi dissolved in an absolute frenzy.   
  
  
"Great Godric's Ghost!" Ginny snickered. "Rita Skeeter almost choked on her own tongue."   
  
Draco rested his forehead against Luna's and said, "Only almost? Damn. Let's give it another go and see if we can do the old battleaxe in."   
  
Harry stepped up and laughed along with Ginny, "Taking the spotlight off me AND plotting the demise of everyone's favorite reporter? Careful Malfoy or I might actually start to like you."   
  
Luna wrinkled her nose and teased, "Harry Potter! It is bad form for you to flirt with my date."   
  
Harry stammered and Ginny snorted, "Ooo...I'm not one that normally considers sharing but a kiss between those two just MIGHT finish Skeeter off."   
  
Draco arched an eyebrow and glanced from Harry to Luna before saying, "Sorry, Potter. I'm flattered but I'm taken and besides...I prefer blondes."  
  
The flustered look on Harry's face produced another round of laughter from the group that was interrupted by an officious " _Ahem_ " from behind. They turned to find Percy Weasley looking perplexed and bewildered.   
  
"Sorry to interrupt... whatever the hell this is, but the Minister wants me to inform you that we are ready to get started. So Harry, if you and my sister will take your seats then we can make the presentation of the guests of honor."   
  
Ginny turned up her nose and stuck her tongue out. "Whatever you say, _Percival_."   
  
Percy narrowed his eyes and retorted, "Mind your manners, _Ginevra_."   
  
Ginny glared and was getting ready to snipe back when Bill Weasley walked past with his wife and said, "Oi! Both of you. Play nice or I'll be forced to call mother over and I'm sure none of us wants that."   
  
Harry led Ginny away as the elder Weasley turned to Draco and Luna and said, "Charlie sends his best, by the way. He appreciated your invitation but honestly, donning dress robes and spending this much time indoors is his idea of Hell. Says he'll see you both on your next trip to the preserve."   
  
Bill and Fleur were then escorted out of the reception area, leaving Draco and Luna standing alone with Percy.  
  
"Right. Follow me," said Percy, hustling them into position. "So the protocol is as follows - You will wait here at top of the stairs behind this curtain. In a few moments you'll hear the Minister call the gathering to order then the curtain will part and you will be introduced. As soon as that happens you will make your way down the steps and take your place at the table up front. You've been seated with the group Luna requested. Once you are situated dinner will be served. After the meal, the Minister will say a few words then the ball will begin. Any questions?"  
  
"Yes. I have a question. Will there be pudding for desert?" asked Luna.  
  
"I...I wasn't given the specifics of the menu," sputtered Percy, rifling through the agenda in his hands.  
  
"If you could check on that for us, it would be very much appreciated," said Draco, trying to hide his amusement at the situation.  
  
As Percy flitted off to determine the status of dessert, Luna gave Draco a sidewise glance and admitted, "I already know we're having pudding. I just think it's good for him to not have all the answers from time to time."  
  
Draco laughed and placed a kiss on the side of her forehead. "Good job. You keep making sure we're all on our toes, love."  
  
As they waited for the announcement, Draco fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve and shifted his feet. Luna looped her arm through his and asked, "You okay?"  
  
He gave a short nod. "You?"  
  
"A touch nervous to be honest. But I suppose it's natural to feel a little uncomfortable when there are a bunch of people staring at you," said Luna. "I'm glad we are here together, though."  
  
"Me too," said Draco.  
  
They heard the minister begin to speak and just before the curtain opened Luna tightened her grip on Draco's arm and whispered, "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a wonderful time this evening."  
  


"Thank you. So did I," smiled Draco. "Ready?"  
  


"Ready."  
  
  
The curtain parted and the couple stepped forward then made their way down the stairs towards their table. Draco noted that anyone who was anyone in the wizarding world was present with the notable exception of several former members of Ravenclaw house. Not long after returning home Draco had enlisted Ginny's help in identifying the students responsible for tormenting Luna and made it his mission to ensure those names were excluded from the guest list.  
  


Draco and Luna took their place at the head table along with the people she had requested. The meal proceeded without a hitch as Draco, Harry, Ron and Ginny discussed the most recent quidditch standings while Hermione, Neville, Hannah and Luna compared notes on the current ministry policies regarding werewolves.   
  


After dessert and the Minister's remarks, Draco and Luna led the first dance of the ball as well as sharing almost every dance thereafter, with even Rita Skeeter being forced to admit what a handsome and happy couple they made.  
  
The night was an almost total success. The only blemish came about when Draco had to be forcibly restrained from injuring a drunken Bulgarian diplomat that he witnessed making a rather aggressive pass at Luna in between dances. The man in question was quickly removed from the party and immediately recalled by his embassy to both preserve his life and prevent an international incident.  
  
Around midnight Draco and Luna said their goodbyes to everyone before side apparating to Luna's cottage. The moment they appeared in her sitting room, Draco quickly spun her around and eagerly claimed her lips with his own.  
  
"Sweet Merlin," he gasped between kisses. "I've wanted to do this all night."  
  
"Why didn't you?" breathed Luna.  
  
"Propriety...and fear of what the Weasley girl would do to me if I messed up your hair," admitted Draco, as he finally allowed himself the luxury of caressing the part of her back which had captivated him all evening.  
  
"Well, I think I can solve that part of the problem." Luna whispered a brief incantation which brought her hair tumbling down into loose cascades, causing the hungry look on Draco's face to intensify. "So I take it this means you approve of my outfit?"  
  
Draco ran his fingers through her hair before dropping his hands to her side to caress the soft velvet fabric of her gown. "Approval doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. A woman as beautiful as you in a dress like this? That qualifies as downright sinful."  
  


"I'm glad you liked it. I made it especially for you."   
  
"Lucky me. How so?"  
  
"The fabric reminded me of the feeling of the unicorn's muzzle. You said green was your favorite color. Dragon jewelry." She blushed slightly and added, "I even forced Harry practice dancing with me so I could get used to doing it in heels."  
  
  


Draco made a face. "Potter?"  
  


"He owed me a favor for abandoning me at Slughorn's Christmas party all those years ago."   
  


Draco began kissing her again. "You subjected yourself to Potter flailing about for me? I am indeed honored."  
  


"Stop," Luna scolded Draco playfully then asked, "Did you really mean that?"  
  
"What? That Potter's dancing is abysmal? Of course, I meant it."  
  


"No. I mean do you really believe that I was beautiful tonight?"  
  


"You are beautiful all the time. Other people just noticed tonight." Draco lightly ran a series of kisses along her jaw. "You may not have seen how all the men looked at you this evening, Luna, but I can assure you that I most certainly did. They may not all have tried to paw at you, like that drunken barbarian, but there was no shortage of wizards in attendance that undoubtedly wished to...become better acquainted with you."   
  
"I don't know about that, but I can assure you that there was only one wizard in attendance this evening that I wish to become better acquainted with," said Luna, standing on her toes giving his neck a little nibble. "And I'm hoping that he'll consider staying here tonight?"  
  
Summoning every last shred of self restraint available to him, Draco pushed her gently away and spoke in a hoarse voice, "You have absolutely no idea how difficult it is for me to decline that invitation but I have a promise to fulfill first."   
  
He took one more step back, cleared his throat and bowed. "With that in mind, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, if you are available this coming weekend, I would very much like to take you away and prepare that home cooked meal you requested."

  
Luna smiled and dropped into a deep curtsey. "I would be thrilled to accept your invitation, Malfoy Draco Malfoy. I was beginning to fear that you'd never ask."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

  
That Friday Luna showed up at Draco's house and was met at the front door by an enthusiastic Mitzi. The little elf was dressed in a new outfit and was so excited she could barely keep from bouncing out of her skin.  
  
  
"Missy Luna! Come in! Come in!" Mitzi practically dragged Luna into the sitting room. "Keep your cloak and bag. You aren't staying here."  
  
"Oh, really? Where am I going, Mitzi?"  
  
Mitzi shook her head vigorously. "Mitzi cannot say. It is a surprise." The elf stood to her full height and proclaimed, "Mitzi has been given the great honor of bringing Missy Luna to the Master this evening because only house elf magic can transport her there the first time."  
  
"How exciting!" exclaimed Luna. "One rarely gets the privilege of travelling with a house elf. Please lead the way."  
  
Mitzi proudly took Luna's hand and a moment later the pair were standing in front of a picturesque white washed cottage near the sea.   
  
Luna barely had time to enjoy the the crisp, salty air. "Come along!" said Mitzi, pulling Luna towards the cottage. "Master is waiting and Mitzi has not completed her task until I have you at the front door!"  
  
Luna laughed and followed along. "All right, Mitzi. Far be it from me to impede your job performance."  
  
Mitzi led Luna up the path and stopped in front of the stoop. "This is as far as Mitzi goes."  
  
"Are you not staying?" asked Luna.  
  
"Oh, no! This is Master and Missy Luna's time. My instructions are to go home and not contact you unless it is a BIG emergency." The elf flung her arms open wide and stretched her fingers as far as possible to indicate the size of the cataclysm necessary to invoke that option.  
  
"Well, as much as I will miss you I certainly hope that nothing like that comes up while we are here," said Luna, bending to give the elf a pat on the head. "Thank you very much for the transport. You did a excellent job and I'll see you when we get back."  
  
"You are very welcome, Missy Luna! Have a good time!" With one final twirl of excitement the elf disappeared with a loud pop.  
  
Luna stepped lightly up to the entrance and rapped the ornate bronze knocker. The door opened to reveal Draco, wearing a crisp white shirt and black trousers. He clicked the heels of his highly polished dress shoes and made a sweeping gesture inside. "Ah! Yes! Welcome! Lovegood-Scamander party of two for dinner this evening, correct?"  
  
  
"Yes, thank you," said Luna as she crossed over the threshold. "I'm ever so glad that I was able to obtain a reservation. From what I understand this establishment is quite exclusive when it comes to its clientele."  
  
"Madam is correct about that but we hope by adhering to such a limited guest list we can accomplish our mission - to make the experience an entirely unique and memorable one." Draco extended his arm. "May I take Madam's cloak?"  
  
"You may," said Luna as she unfastened the clasp and handed over the garment.   
  
It was at that moment Draco got his first glimpse of what she was wearing and he promptly forgot anything else that he planned on saying.  
  


In the past he had heard women talk about the importance of owning a "little black dress" but had never really paid much notice to those conversations. The dress that Luna was wearing now, however, commanded his full attention, if for no other reason than its hemline afforded him a view of her legs that he had never seen before.  
  


She caught him staring and tugged slightly at the edge of the skirt which hovered well above her knees. "Is it all right? The lady in the shop said she thought it suited me so I took her word for it."

  
Draco made a mental note to find out the name of the store and make sure that the clerk in question received not only a commendation but a significant rise in pay as well. He swallowed hard and said, "She was entirely correct. It does, indeed, suit you."  
  


He recovered himself long enough to spirit the cloak away inside the coat closet and then offered his arm and lead her into the kitchen.  
  
Luna closed her eyes and breathed in the delectable aromas wafting around the room. "Oh, Draco it smells _heavenly_!"  
  
"I'm glad you approve so far. May I pour you a glass of the house wine?"  
  
"Yes, thank you," said Luna. She caught sight of the label and raised an eyebrow. "Draco! Elvish wine of that vintage is incredibly rare!"  
  
"I may have emancipated a few bottles from the manor before I moved out," Draco shrugged as he handed her the glass. "Cheers?"  
  
"Cheers."  
  
  
Luna savored a sip of her wine then peered out the window over the sink. "This place is lovely. It's so peaceful and quiet."  
  
"It is. One of the benefits to being on an island, I suppose."  
  
"An island? Really? How many people live here?"  
  


"Did Mitzi leave?" asked Draco.  
  


"Yes."  
  


"Then that would bring the total population to..." Draco made a show of counting on his fingers for a moment before saying, "...two."  
  
"What?" giggled Luna.

"The whole place was abandoned when it was no longer a need for the lighthouse which once stood here. The light itself was demolished ages ago but the keeper's cottage was left intact. The entire island has since been rendered unplottable so unless you have the only key or have been given special access by the person in possession of said key you cannot find it. To make doubly sure of that Mitzi has warded the entire property with her most powerful protective charms. Thus your transportation by house elf."  
  
Draco produced an elaborate metal key from his pocket and laid it on the counter. "Only you, I and Mitzi can get within twenty miles of this place and even if someone could get close enough to lay eyes on it all they would be able to see is a pile of rubble."  
  
"My, how...cozy," said Luna, taking a suggestive sip of her wine.  
  


"Yes, well I hope you don't find those provisions overly excessive but with the press being what they are, I really wanted someplace where our privacy would be ensured."  
  


"It's perfect. Thank you." Luna raised up on her toes and kissed him gently. Draco leaned in, reveling in the taste of the wine on her lips.   
  
A timer went off, causing Draco to slide back and clear his throat. "Yes, well...That means dinner is ready. May I show the lady to her seat?"  
  
He escorted her to the dining room where he served up a gourmet meal matching the one he promised in the cave - right down to a chocolate pudding that Luna proclaimed the best she had ever tasted.  
  
  
Throughout the meal, however, Luna noticed that Draco seemed to be continually checking the time. When the grandfather clock in the next room chimed the quarter hour Draco unexpectedly stood and offered Luna his hand.  
  
"Will the lady be so kind as to join me in the garden?"  
  
"The lady will join you anywhere - particularly the garden," said Luna.  
  
Draco lead her to the back door then stopped with his hand on the door knob. He gripped it tightly, took a deep breath and said, "Luna, there is something I've wanted to ask you for a long time now but I've waited for two very important reasons. The first is that I needed you to know that this wasn't some spur of the moment decision. I wanted you to see that you were entitled to have someone pursue you and make an effort on your behalf because you deserve nothing less than the best a person can offer you."  
  
He opened the door and motioned for her to step through. "I also wanted to wait until this was possible."  
  
Luna stepped into a lush garden with a bubbling fountain in the center. As Draco guided her to a specific spot she heard him counting under his breath, "Five, four, three, two..."  
  
On 'one' the moon hit a specific spot in the sky and all of the flowers surrounding them began to slowly unravel their petals. A moment later the entire garden was alive with sweet aromas and the glow of pale white blossoms reflecting in the moonlight.  
  
As Luna spun around, trying to take it all in, Draco explained, "It's every variety of moonflower I could find. Some of them only bloom for one night during the light of a full moon. I wanted to give you a longer courtship but honestly I knew I didn't have the fortitude to wait another month before doing this."  
  
As she turned to look at him, Draco continued, "I know that you already know what I want to ask you and while I desperately want you to say yes, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't state certain things upfront."  
  
He anxiously ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Damn erumpents have it easy. Bloody dance is less terrifying than this."  


He swallowed hard and dove in. "You need to know that there will be times when your insistence upon doing the right thing - even at the cost of your own safety - will absolutely infuriate me. You need to know that there will be times when I will lose my mind because someone has treated you badly. There will be times when I will want to tear another man's eyes out for looking at you inappropriately. There will be times when my fear that something has happened or even might happen to you will cause me to react badly, possibly resulting in misdirected sniping at you."  
  
He stepped closer. "You need to understand that there will be times when I am so overwhelmed with doubt and self loathing that I will be nearly impossible to live with and while I believe you when you say that you love me, I still assert that is a valid reason for me to question your sanity."  
  
Before he could proceed, Luna interrupted. "I already know all of that, Draco, so could you please go ahead and ask the question? Then you will need to stop talking long enough for me to say 'yes', at which time you put the ring on my finger and finally get around to kissing me. At least, I believe that is how the time honored and traditional custom goes."

  
Draco laughed and took her hand. "Okay, then I can't promise you that I will always get this right but I _can_ promise to love you - just you, only you and always you - until my last breath and ever after. "  
  
He dropped to one knee and produced a small box from his pocket. He opened it and extended it towards her. "So, with all of that in mind, Luna Scamander Previously Lovegood, would you be willing to forgo all rational thought and take leave of your senses long enough to agree to marry me?"  
  
Draco was surprised when Luna responded by kneeling in front of him, holding out her left hand. "Malfoy Draco Malfoy, there is nothing in this world that would give me more happiness than to marry you."  
  
He slipped the ring on her finger and as she admired it he explained, "I know it's not a conventional design for an engagement ring. It's made of three bands of different metals woven together, each with a different word engraved on them in English, Elvish and Runic. The gold band says 'together', the silver says 'forever' and the platinum says 'always'."   
  
"It's perfect," whispered Luna.  
  
"I'm glad you think so," said Draco as he fished something else out of his pocket. It was an almost identical ring except it was thicker and more masculine. He placed it on his own left ring finger. "I know it isn't traditional for the groom to wear a ring until the ceremony but I don't ever want there to be a question about who my heart belongs to."  
  
He had barely spoken those words when Luna lunged forwards and began kissing him as if her very life depended on it. He steadied himself then tugged her closer to deepen the connection. She finally broke away briefly to ask, "Draco? Does this lovely cottage have a bedroom?"

  
He lifted his lips from her skin just long enough to answer, "It has two."  
  


"I would very much like to see one of them now," she replied breathlessly.  
  


"As you wish," Draco said as he whisked her into his arms and carried her back to the house. He made his way down a short hallway and into the bedroom. "Will this do?"  
  
She opened her eyes and fought back a tear. It was exactly as he had described to her in the cave - a large comfy bed in front of a roaring fire surrounded by candles and flowers. Luna's eyes shone in the firelight. "You remembered everything."

  
"Of course I did," said Draco as he sat her gently on the bed.  
  


She ran her hand over the bedding and smiled, "Linen sheets?"  
  


"Imported from the finest weavers in Ireland."

  
"Show off..." Luna pulled him closer, unbuttoning his shirt as she did so.  
  


"Oh, love," growled Draco. "I've only just begun showing off for you tonight..."

  
  



	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29  
  
**

He awoke a few hours later to the feeling of Luna readjusting herself as they lay spooned together. He tightened his hold on her and nibbled her ear.  
  
"Sorry," Luna whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."  
  
"Don't apologize. I love waking up with you next to me. Reminds me this isn't just another one of my dreams."  
  
Luna lifted her hand enough to show the ring on her fourth finger. "I'm hoping the ring means this can happen on a more regular basis."  
  
"As often as you like," said Draco. He ran his hand lightly down her arm and raised it so the ring caught the moonlight. "Do you really like it?"

  
"I love it."

  
"Why?"  
  


Luna paused then rolled over to face him. "You're not just asking about the ring, are you?" He hesitated and she kissed him softly. "Oh, Draco. I wish there were a spell I could cast or a potion I could brew that would allow you to see what I see when I look at you."  
  


He smiled upon hearing his own words repeated back to him. "What _do_ you see, Luna?"  
  


She propped herself up and said, "I see a man that is stronger and smarter and braver than anyone I've ever known. I see a man so devastatingly handsome that my heart races every time I see him. I see eyes that tell me exactly how he feels about things." She brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "That was one of the ways I first tried to tell you how I felt."  
  


"When was that?"  
  


"Do you remember the night with the baby graphorn? You asked my favorite color."  
  


"I remember. You said, 'stormy grey blue'. I asked why and you said you might tell me one day."  
  


"I'll tell you now. It's the color of your eyes."  
  


As he leaned in to kiss her, she purred softly and said, "Which brings me to your lips and the way they make me feel...but even more importantly the words that come out of them." She tried to contain the emotion in her voice. "My whole life, Draco, people have used words to try and tear me down but you...your words lift me up and make me think that anything is possible."  
  


He pulled her close as she continued. "Which brings me to your arms - arms that make me feel safe and secure. And hands that make me feel...quite a lot actually."   
  
Her fingers trailed up and stopped at the dark mark branded on his forearm. "Shall I tell you what I think about this?"  
  


He closed his eyes as he felt her lips press against the grim reminder of his past. He fought back tears as she whispered, "When I see this, I see a man willing to take whatever steps necessary to protect his family. I see a man that only had bad options laid in front of him but kept going anyway. When I see this mark I see the thing that kept you alive. Because of this mark, the man that I love is next to me right now. My soon to be husband. The future father of my children. I have all of that because of this mark so, in my eyes, it is the most beautiful thing in the world."  
  


Draco trembled as he dug his hands into her hair. "Sweet Circe. What did I ever do to deserve you?"  
  


"We need to stop asking what we _deserve_ , Draco and simply be grateful for what we _have_." Luna kissed him deeply as she slid a hand down to his hip, where she began running her nails lightly over his skin. "Now, I can continue telling you what I think about your other attributes or I can show my appreciation in a more...tangible manner."  
  


"Is there an option 'c' - all of the above?"  
  


"Absolutely," Luna responded by running lingering, open mouth kisses down his neck and along his chest. "Looks like it's my turn to start showing off now."  
  
  
xoxox

  
They spent the next three days exploring the island and each other, becoming intimately familiar with both.  
  


The morning they were due to head home Draco woke to find a note from Luna propped up on the bedside table saying she had gone to the beach to watch the sunrise. He quickly dressed and hurried outside where he found her sitting on the ground wrapped in a blanket.   
  


He settled in beside her and she snuggled into his chest. "You're up early."  
  


"I wanted to see the sunrise here one more time before we had to leave."  
  


He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Do you like the island that much?"  
  


Luna gave a contented sigh. "I believe that this is, quite possibly, the most perfect place in the entire world."  
  


"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that....because it's yours."  
  


Luna tipped her head and gave him a quizzical look. "Excuse me?"  
  


"Well, _ours_ technically after the wedding but I did put the deed in your name."  
  


"You bought the cottage?"  
  


Draco tried to contain his grin. "In a sense."  
  


Luna's eyes widened as she gasped, "You bought the ISLAND?"  
  


Draco shrugged. "Thought it would be a good investment. A safe place to get away from everything from time to time. For us...and the children - eventually."  
  


Luna kissed him soundly. "Show off."  
  


Draco chuckled. "Maybe, a bit..."  
  


Luna's eyes twinkled. "So - is it really true that nobody can see us out here?"  
  


"Absolutely no one."  
  


"Good," Luna said as she dropped the blanket and pulled him toward her.  
  



	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30  
  
**

Knowing at which the speed of news travelled through the Wizarding Press, Draco was keen for their family to hear the news from them first. He sent word along earlier so both Mitzi and Narcissa were waiting at Draco's when he and Luna arrived to officially announce their engagement.  
  
It was difficult to tell who was more excited - the little house elf spun herself into such a frenzy that Luna was concerned she would injure herself and the extent of Narcissa's joy at having Luna as a daughter-in-law caught even Draco by surprise.  
  
They all had a long, lovely visit. After Draco had escorted his mother to the floo he returned to the study where he spied Luna staring wistfully out the window with her hand reaching absentmindedly towards her neck. He slipped over to his desk where he quietly retrieved something from the top drawer. He joined her at the window and wrapped his arms around her from behind.   
  
He bent down and whispered in her ear, "You are missing your Mum and wishing we could tell your parents as well, aren't you?"  
  
Luna nodded but kept looking out the window as she replied, "I love Narcissa and I feel so grateful to have her in my life but it's times like this that I really miss my own mother."  
  
"I can understand that," said Draco. "You have no idea how desperately I wish that I could facilitate a reunion with your parents the way that you did for me, but that is sadly far beyond my power to provide."  
  
He held his hand in front of her face. "I was going to wait and give you this as a wedding present but somehow it seems like now was a more appropriate time."  
  
He opened his hand to reveal an exact facsimile of her lost locket. "You gave me the opportunity to see my mother again and I wanted to find some small way to return that favor as well as keeping another promise that I made to you. So, I hope you will accept this token as my feeble attempt at giving you a small taste of the comfort and happiness you have given me."   
  
Luna gasped as she tentatively allowed her fingers to touch the chain. "You got it back for me?"  
  
  
"Unfortunately, no. The original is lost but I got a good look at it the night we stayed up with the graphorn. I had that memory copied into a pensieve then asked the jeweler who made our rings to create a duplicate." He laid it in her palm and coaxed, "Open it."  
  
Luna carefully undid the clasp and opened the locket and immediately tears flowed down her face. Inside were pictures of her parents, looking lovingly at each other and then up at her. She struggled to speak and finally managed, "How?"  
  
"Like I said, I got a good look at both the locket and the pictures that night. I asked Mother to find me the best artist in Europe, shared the memory with him so he was able to recreate the images and animate them. I know it's not the same as the original but I thought at least this way you could have your parents with you when we get married."

  
"Oh, Draco. You wonderful, thoughtful, incredible man." Luna wiped her face then handed him the locket, lifted her hair back and asked, "Would you put it on me please?"  
  
Draco complied, kissing the back of her neck softly when he was done. "There. Now both of our mothers know." He then turned her around and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "So - fill me in on the details of our wedding. I'm dying to know what you have in mind."  
  
  
xoxoxo  
  
  


They got married a month later at Charlie's Dragon Preserve with all of their friends and loved ones in attendance.  
  
  
Luna was so excited that she abandoned protocol and ran to the arbor where Draco was waiting, losing one of her shoes in the process. The whole party was touched when Draco reached down and discarded Luna's remaining shoe before shedding his own. Soon all assembled, including officiate Kingsley Shacklebolt, followed suit and the ceremony proceeded with everyone barefoot.  
  
Afterwards, at Draco's insistence, everyone changed into the most outlandish clothes that he and Luna could concoct and they staged an entire portfolio of photos to 'leak' to the media. As an added bonus, Draco enlisted several prominent fashion designers that were disillusioned with the Wizarding Press and convinced them to publicly proclaim the images the most "fashion forward" ensembles they had ever seen.  
  
The icing on the cake came when several respected former members of the DA volunteered to wear the outfits to upcoming gala events, causing Luna to be named "fashion icon" of the year by the Daily Prophet, much to the chagrin of Rita Skeeter.

  
The next day, Draco had Luna to don special earmuffs and a blindfold before leading her through a complicated series of floos and portkeys to their surprise honeymoon destination. Luna gamely followed along and eventually found herself being led down what felt like a bridge of some sort. The earmuffs kept things quiet but she could feel intense sound waves reverberating through her entire body. She felt Draco's strong hands place her in a specific spot then suddenly the blindfold and earmuffs were gone and she stood for a moment processing the sensory overload around her.  
  
Beneath the walkway they were standing on raged a mighty river and all around them waterfalls plunged down steep canyons with a deafening roar. The resulting spray created a myriad of rainbows and prisms all around them.  
  
Draco let her take in the full force of the natural wonder before casting a charm that surrounded them in a clear bubble, giving them an unrestricted view while also allowing them to hear each other speak.  
  


"Draco! Where are we?"  
  
"Welcome to Iguazu Falls, Brazil. Home of the largest waterfalls in the world."  
  
Luna was wide eyed with astonishment. "It's amazing! But shouldn't a place like this be overrun with muggle tourists at this time of year?"  
  
"Normally it would be, except a sudden environmental crisis has closed it off to all outsiders for at least a week."  
  


Luna's face scrunched in concern. "What kind of environmental crisis?"  
  


"A magical one..." Seeing the look on her face Draco assured her, "Kingsley authorized it. Said it was his wedding gift to us. We have the entire place to ourselves for seven days."  
  
Luna stepped out further on the walkway to better take in the view. "Draco? Exactly how many waterfalls are there in this place?"  
  
  
"Two hundred and seventy five."  
  


Luna's jaw dropped then she started to laugh uncontrollably. "Show off!"  
  


Draco lifted her up and sat her on the railing of the catwalk before kissing her soundly. "Get used to it, love. I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing off for you."  
  
  
And that is exactly what he did...

The End

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far I humbly thank you and ask that you please leave me some feedback so I can improve. If you like what you read please check out my other stories and leave comments there as well!


End file.
